MPs paid millions to do nothing

Jan 15, 2015 News

– Ramotar’s delay secures MP’s pensions

The continued suspension of Parliament has meant a lot of agitation on the political front, but it is also costing taxpayers millions upon millions of dollars to pay Parliamentarians for basically doing nothing. President Donald Ramotar’s delay in dissolving Parliament and calling General Elections has effectively ensured that all Members of Parliament qualify to receive a Parliamentary pension.
If you were to count just the salaries of Parliamentarians, including the Speaker together, the monthly salary adds up to $22.8 million.
If you multiply that by six, it means that in the time since the last sitting of the House, Parliamentarians have been paid $136 million to do nothing, and if you add up the allowances over that time, you might want to put in a few million dollars more.
The monthly payments to Parliamentarians as at the start of this year, sees the Attorney General Anil Nandlall receiving a monthly salary of $1.6 million. That’s in addition to a duty allowance, an entertainment allowance, which together is just $2,000. But then you have to add another $45,000, which serves as a housing allowance and a Parliamentary Committee Allowance. He also collects a travelling allowance and his telephone bills are paid.
There is also a chauffeur allowance of just over $100,000. Nandlall is also entitled to an annual vacation allowance of $420,000.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds is paid the second highest salary – $1.5 million a month. And he receives allowances and benefits similar to those paid to Nandlall.
Parliamentarians who are Ministers of the Government are paid a salary of $579,000. There are 17 of those, so at the end of the month, that adds up to close to over $10 million. Add their housing and chauffeur allowance, and you get another $2.1 million.
Speaker of the House Raphael Trotman is paid a monthly salary of $579,000 and receives allowances similar to what the Attorney General and the Prime Minister receive. Deputy Speaker Basil Williams receives $200,000 a month, in addition to other allowances.
The Parliamentary Secretary, PNC defector Joseph Hamilton, receives a salary of $278, 000, along with a housing allowance, a chauffeur allowance, his travel and telephone bills paid and an annual vacation allowance of $315,000.
Gail Teixeira and Amna Ally, the two Chief Whips of the ruling PPP and main opposition APNU receive a salary of $198,000 along with the committee allowance of $20,000 and the travelling allowance. Teixeira is also paid a substantive salary for her job as Political Advisor.
Other Members of Parliament, those who are not Ministers and those who are of the Opposition, receive a monthly salary of $166, 000 and a $20,000 Committee allowance. They also have their telephone and travel bills paid.
Now, President Donald Ramotar’s delay in dissolving Parliament and calling new elections has ensured that new Parliamentarians who entered the House three years ago will receive their Parliamentary pension. They only qualify for the pension after exactly three years of service, and not a single day earlier.
That three-year period came to an end on Monday, so if the President had dissolved Parliament anytime before Monday, that pension would not have been in the bag.

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