Increased stipends for NDC councillors, retired workers

Jun 27, 2014 News

Government has approved an increase in stipends for councillors in the country’s Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs). Another order by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, has also approved a four percent increase in pensions payable to retired workers of NDCs. The latter approval is effective June 1st.
According to the June 21st Official Gazette of Guyana, Central Government has granted approval for NDC Chairmen to each receive $10,000 per month. The Deputy Chairmen will be receiving $5,000 per month while each Councillor gets $3,000.
Chairmen and Councillors, despite their critical role in managing communities, do not receive a salary. Rather, a stipend is paid monthly.
According to the notice in the Official Gazette, the new stipends are payable to all Councillors who attend the statutory meetings held by the Council.
“While a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman are also Councillors in their own right, they cannot be paid two stipends. Unless the Minister makes an exception in writing, one single stipend is payable to each Councillor. Should any stipend being paid, exceed the new stipend, that higher stipend should remain payable, but the recipient is not eligible for the new stipend.”
The order by Whittaker is effective from May 1st.
Meanwhile, with regards to the increase in pension to retired NDC workers, the Ministry said that payments are based on the ability of the respective NDCs to make them out of its own funds.
NDCs and Town Councils across the country have all been receiving attention, with no Local Government Elections being held since the 1990’s for new councilors.
As a result, many of the NDCs and Town Councils have fallen on hard times, with outstanding rates and taxes, uncollected garbage and poorly maintained infrastructure a norm.
The pressure has been mounting, from within and from the Diplomatic community to hold local government elections at the soonest.

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