LAVENTILLE EAST/MORVANT MP Donna Cox, who has been leading the Opposition's charge against the $1,000 monthly tax-free allowance for Police, Fire, Prisons and Defence Force personnel, is now expressing shock they have not received it as promised by the Government.

In the case of the Police Service, the allowance was promised to them since the reading of the 2010/2011 National Budget more than a year ago.

In an interview with TV6 News on Friday, Cox said that despite disagreeing with the allowance in principle, she told the Parliament in 2010 if that was the way the Government wants to go it should not be restricted to the Police Service.

"I was really happy when the Government came back and said they were going to give it to all, but I am really sad to know that they (protective services and Defence Force personnel) have not received it as yet," said Cox, a former minister in the Ministry of National Security.

She was responding to questions in an exclusive interview with TV6 News which aired on Thursday night, in which the National Security Minister John Sandy said the setback was corrected by amendments to the Finance Bill which was passed by the Senate late Monday night.

That bill sought an additional allocation of $ 2.7 billion to the budget.

Asked if the payments had been made before the bill was passed, Sandy said: "No, and I am advised that this debate had to be held first, this same finance debate, before this money could be paid but it will be paid."

Finance Minister Winston Dookeran announced a $1,000 tax-free monthly allowance would be paid to all members of the Police Service as an incentive for the efforts in the war on crime during the 2010/2011 budget presentation.

During the budget presentation last year, Dookeran announced the $1,000 allowance was to have been extended to members of the Fire and Prisons Services as well as the Defence Force.

Sandy could not say exactly when the tax-free allowance payments would begin, but stressed he has been championing the matter.

There are also some 300 retired police officers who are waiting on their pension payments.

Sandy says their dilemma has to be addressed with different legislation as had been stated by the Finance Minister late last year.

The retired brigadier said he did not realise new legislation was needed to pay the $1,000 monthly allowance.

"Even when this was done initially I wasn't aware that we would have to go to the Parliament for it. I thought it was something that could have been done following the budget debate, but I was advised you know, and in particular you see the retirees I am particularly pushing for them because I mean, they have worked and they ought to be compensated," Sandy said.

Cox is calling on the Government to consider salary increases instead of the allowance, similar to that approved for the police during the previous People's National Movement administration.

"The salary increases that was done before that is a better deal for the police officers because they were going to be compensated based on their skills, based on their aptitude, different reasons and there were different allowances attached to that compensation for them," Cox said.