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Has the Govt. turned its back on pensioners?

May 15, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
The government takes pride in emphasising the percentage increase for “Old Age Pensioners” over the past few years.
The hypocrisy in this, however, is that the sum on which the percentage is calculated is never mentioned.
Secondly, when the actual increase is measured against the continuous escalating inflation trend and then translated into the actual exchange power of the money, which is expressed in terms of real wages, pensioners continue to survive, nay-exist, in an abysmal state.
When this is analysed against the pension benefits of Presidents, their spouses and other top ranking executives as outlined in the recent Bill it leaves one to ponder whether the concept of what is a ‘Working Class Government’ has not eluded the current PPP/C, government, headed by President Bharrat Jagdeo, a Moscow trained economist who should be well versed and sympathetic to the woes and tribulations of the working class (The proletariat).
This is a case where the proverbial statement seems true, “The devil quotes scriptures for its own purpose”.
Another bone of contention is that the PPP/C Government has turned its back on the state pensioners.
The customary practice was that every year, this category of pensioners is given a corresponding increase as public servants.
For the year 2009 none has so far been given. It forces one to contemplate whether the so-called caring “Working Class Government” does not even recognise the simple rudiments of good manners, more so to be considerate about the ‘Bread and Butter’ issues of those who made sterling contributions to the welfare of Guyana.
At this stage it would be appropriate to mention that even the NIS is also guilty of fulfilling expectation of their pensioners.
It could not be that they do not have the ability to provide a moderate increase because gleaming from reports made public recently they are not in a financial quagmire. Even if they are, at least be courteous enough to make a pronouncement on the status-quo and appease the NIS dependents (Pensioners). Or is it that the NIS Board is also suffering form a paralysis of basic mannerisms that the so-called “Working Class Government” is afflicted with.
Bharat Narine

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