MegaMart Thanks Public Sector Workers with $1.5 Billion Reward Programme

Over 200,000 public sector workers and pensioners are slated to benefit from a $1.5 billion savings and reward programme being offered by local superstore chain, MegaMart.

Dubbed: ‘Billion Dollar Thank You to Public Servants’, the programme, which was officially launched on Wednesday, July 3, at the store’s Waterloo Road location in St. Andrew is a show of appreciation to civil servants, who agreed to a three-year wage freeze, as part of Jamaica’s economic recovery programme.

Participating public sector workers stand to realise significant savings from special vouchers and discounts offered over a three-year period.

Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Hon. Horace Dalley, in endorsing the initiative, said all public sector workers appreciate the efforts of MegaMart in assisting them to realise savings.

“I commend MegaMart for their initiative, for their commitment and for putting into practice what they think can help our public sector workers,” he said.

The Minister further pointed out that MegaMart will also benefit from a large pool of public sector workers patronising its establishments, many of whom are already loyal customers.

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of MegaMart, Gassan Azan Jr., explained that under the programme, public sector workers and pensioners will benefit from three years free membership in the MegaMart Wholesale Club; and will be provided with three $1,000 MegaMart vouchers on completion of the membership form.

Each voucher can be redeemed for goods when the public sector worker spends $5,000 before General Consumption Tax (GCT).

They can also benefit from special discounts, and will have opportunity to receive shopping sprees of $50,000, $30,000 and $15,000 in a MegaMart Public Sector Summer Bonus. To access these rewards, public sector workers should sign up for the free membership before December 31 this year.

Already MegaMart provides public sector workers with range of benefits including five per cent discount on their purchases, when they shop Friday to Monday. Those with membership cards receive further rewards.

“We want every public sector worker to access these benefits and, to this end, we are going to be sending a MegaMart mobile unit to government ministries and departments to facilitate the registration process. In addition, workers may also sign up at any of our four MegaMart stores located in Portmore, Kingston, Mandeville and Montego Bay,” Mr. Azan said.

He expressed the hope that the MegaMart Thank You programme will provide a useful model for further private sector/public sector collaboration.

“In this difficult period, it is this kind of collaboration that will help to cushion the impact of the crisis on Jamaican families and this will be critical in maintaining stability in the society as a whole,” he said.

All public sector group leaders, who were present at the function, also voiced their support for the initiative.

They included: President, Jamaica Civil Service Association (JCSA), O’Neil Grant; President, Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA), Clayton Hall; President, Nurses Association of Jamaica (NAJ), Antoinette Patterson; President, Jamaica Police Federation (JPF), Sergeant Raymond Wilson; General Secretary, Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers, Helene Davis-Whyte; President, University and Allied Workers Union (UAWU), Senator Lambert Brown; and First Vice-President, Jamaica Government Pensioners Association, Leebert Grant.

Contact: Alecia Smith-Edwards