ROLLING BACK THE PAY INCREASE MAKES SENSE

Oct 17, 2015 Editorial, Features / Columnists

It is often said that in politics, it would be suicidal for Governments to insult, attempt to deceive or take the electorate for granted. It has not worked in the past and will not work now. Governments have to be honest in order to gain the trust and confidence of the people. The ground-swell support that governments normally receive early in office could evaporate instantly if they attempt to dupe the population. Governments that want to remain popular with the public should adhere to these principles.
In Guyana, the major challenges facing the government are crime which is out of control; the ailing economy whose GDP has plummeted to below one percent; jobs for the restless youths; the crumbling infrastructure; and the failing sugar and rice industries. These problems have been inherited from the previous regime which had been in office for twenty-three years.
Given these conditions the pay increase was a mistake.
The people are upset and they have every reason to be. To justify a salary increase of the magnitude just afforded Ministers who have been fewer than six months on the job is absurd. How can anyone rationalize it when the vast majority of workers—civil servants, nurses and teachers etc.—have to work for a full year before they receive a small salary increase? Words cannot begin to explain this travesty.
The government should allow the people to vent their frustrations, and not aggravate the situation with silly responses. They ought to know that there is a time for everything and it is their time to be silent. To say that the salary increase is not astronomical, that it is fair, and then ask the people to trust the government, is irrational, insensitive, conceited and selfish. If this pay increase is not astronomical, then why not give the same to civil servants, teachers and nurses who are struggling to make ends meet and who do not have the extravagant allowances accorded to senior public officials.
This is not the “good life for all” as promised by the coalition during the election campaign. The nation should pray for the government to do the right thing.
The salary increase could have been palatable to the people if they were properly informed and solid reasons provided. It is an affront to the nation for some to say that they have left their high paying jobs to join the government to become poor. The huge salary increase is one thing but disrespecting the electorate is another.
And there is another issue, the issue of the politics of Guyana. The government should have its Public Relations team debunk the accusations that are being preached to the people by the PPP across the country. The PPP is telling the people that they have won seven of the ten regions and have lost the election by less than five thousand votes which means that the seven party coalition government has won only three regions convincingly. The fact that the coalition won Region Eight, albeit by one vote does not count, it seems.
Imagery and propaganda are what count and sell in politics and perceptions become reality in most cases. It has been said before but bears repeating that unless the government is prepared to acquire skilled, qualified and experienced persons from the diaspora to help improve the ailing economy, increase production in the sugar and rice industries, create jobs for the youths and reduce crime, it will pay a heavy price at the polls in the up-coming Local Government Elections and possibly, in the next elections.
For this not to happen, the government has to de-construct the PPP. In politics as in life, opportunity and thinking outside of the box tend to lead to success.

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