Recent revelations of overtime abuse in the Forestry Department have sparked a wider conversation about potential misuse of overtime pay across various government agencies. The issue came to light after it was discovered that some employees in the Forestry Department, which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture, had allegedly profited unfairly through overtime and collections.
Kudret Özersay, Chairman of the People’s Party (HP), has voiced concerns about the scope of the problem.
“We’ve received reports of public sector employees being overpaid for overtime they never worked,” Özersay stated. “What’s more troubling is that some managers appear to be turning a blind eye to these practices, even when they’re aware of them.”
Özersay also highlighted a previous attempt to address similar issues, noting that the Ministry of Finance had initiated an inspection of the customs unit at Kyrenia Port following allegations of illegal overtime. However, this inspection was reportedly halted before its completion.
