Prime Minister Gaston Browne has publicly challenged a social media post by a man who claimed he received just EC$276 for two weeks of work with the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, describing the allegation as a lie.

The dispute emerged after a Facebook user identified as Flow Ryder shared a photograph of a cheque apparently issued by the ministry for EC$276.

“Imagine i work hard for 2 weeks and this is what I get in return from bulic works is this right Gaston Browne,” the man wrote, directly appealing to the prime minister.

The photograph shows a cheque dated Oct. 6, 2026, bearing the name of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and indicating a payment of EC$276.

Browne responded in a separate Facebook post, citing Antigua and Barbuda’s minimum wage and rejecting the suggestion that the amount represented payment for two full weeks of work.

“Minimum wage in Antigua & Barbuda is EC$460 weekly; $1940 monthly. No one makes $276 bi-monthly. It’s a lie,” Browne wrote.

The prime minister’s response suggests that he disputes the worker’s account of the payment rather than the existence of the cheque itself.

However, the photograph does not establish how many hours the individual worked, the terms of his employment or whether the payment represented his full earnings for the period.

At the stated minimum weekly wage of EC$460, an employee working two full standard workweeks would ordinarily earn EC$920 before deductions.

The EC$276 payment shown in the photograph is EC$644 less than that amount.

Screenshot from PM’s Faebook page

Neither the worker’s employment records nor a breakdown of the payment was provided in the posts.

The exchange has raised questions about how the payment was calculated and whether it represented wages for a full two-week period, fewer hours of work or another payment arrangement.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation has not provided an explanation in the material reviewed.

Antigua and Barbuda’s national minimum wage increased to EC$11.50 per hour on April 1, 2026, equivalent to EC$460 for a standard 40-hour workweek.

This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: “No One Makes $276”: PM Browne Rejects Public Works Worker’s Pay Complaint.