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Govt. dismisses rumours of big increases for ministers, VPs

Aug 06, 2015 News

The APNU+AFC administration has dismissed claims that it is moving to implement a 100 percent increase in salaries for ministers. Rather, moves are underway, in keeping with regulations to adjust salaries of various office holders, with a review ongoing into the state of affairs of the public sector.

The increases had been mulled by the Cabinet of Ministers for not only the Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo but the Vice Presidents, senior and junior ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs). However, in light of the review, the implementation of the adjustments has been placed on hold.

One newspaper, closely aligned with the former ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic, had carried detailed figures of increases.

These were grossly inflated and “nowhere near the reality”, Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, told reporters yesterday. He explained that there have to be “differentials” for the various levels of ministers, an area that has not been adjusted for the last 20 years.

Stressing that adjustments are on hold, Trotman disclosed that the Cabinet of Ministers has received two proposals by “independent minds” on the way forward.

He dismissed, with “some amusement”, some of the proposed increased.

The minister was asked yesterday to respond specifically to criticisms that the new administration seemed to moving to give ministers and others an increase, only weeks after taking office.

Trotman explained that the Government is looking at “across-the-board” salary increases. This will apply to all public servants and will include persons in the security services.

He noted that his colleague, Finance Minister Winston Jordan, had specifically mentioned that an increase was being considered, but that no fixed figure was put forward or time prescribed for an increase.

According to Trotman, the Government is approaching “salary increases” in a very patient and professional manner, and that, “all reviews of salaries for the Public Service are under the purview of Professor Harold Lutchman.”

Lutchman is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Caribbean Court of Justice and also a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana.

In proffering reasons for salary increases, the Minister said that apart from ‘honouring its first 100-day promises,’ there is a need to distinguish, via salary scales, the various categories of Government officers including, Ministers and Junior Ministers, Vice Presidents and Presidential Advisors.

Increases for public servants are expected to be announced next Monday by Minister Jordan when he appears in Parliament to present the 2015 National Budget. Salary increases had been promised by the administration as part of its “First 100 Days” in office.

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