FINANCE Minister Audley Shaw Tuesday dismissed reports that some Air Jamaica employees had not received their redundancy and severance payments.

In refuting the reports in Parliament, Shaw said "cheques were issued to all 1,823 Air Jamaica employees".

"We are extremely gratified that the requisite redundancy and severance payments -- which approximated US$24 million -- were set aside to meet those payments in a timely manner. This Government is also gratified that approximately 1,000 employees are being rehired by Caribbean Airlines during the transition period," Shaw said.

The Government had last Wednesday indicated that all members of staff of national carrier Air Jamaica, whose jobs were to be made redundant, would receive their severance pay, totalling US$24 million, last Friday.

The move was a precursor to the transition process for the divestment of the operations of the national carrier to Trinidad and Tobago's Caribbean Airlines, which took effect on May 1.

In addressing the costs to the Government from the divestment, Shaw said the State would now be required to assume responsibility for the total debt of Air Jamaica, which as at February 28 this year amounted to US$939.99 million, or J$80 billion.