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Increases in Salaries of Parliamentarians

Oct 22, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
One could not help being attentive to Adam Harris’ Column in KN of Sunday October 18, 2015, about Ministers’ Salaries. No explanation about this topic could be simple, however. For one, despite the focus on Ministers, the reported increases affect all Parliamentarians on both sides of the House. But not unreasonably, emphasis has been on increases for Ministers.
Mr. Harris’ attempt to put the issue in some historical perspective may just barely dampen some of the hysteria surrounding a decision made by an administration who clearly did not prepare itself adequately to provide a rationale for the outcomes, whether or not the latter would have been acceptable. The range of official responses omitted appreciation of any technical analysis that may have informed the adjustments, alleged to have been recommended at levels greater than those finally agreed.
It would be undeniably accurate to say that the Human Resources Management Consultant, Sandra Jones, mentioned in the media, was not part of the decision-making process. So that it is at least illogical to suggest, however obliquely, that that professional could be responsible for the published outcomes.
Notwithstanding, the undersigned is grateful to KN’s Editor for attempting to assuage the heat which has characterized the debate. One should note, however, that even the apparent sympathizers have legitimately argued that there could well have been a contradiction in one approach to a similar salary issue being that of a Commission of Inquiry; while the other approach arrogated to itself the ability to decide in its own interests.
Suffice it to say that in the overall context of compensation structuring, Sandra Jones has to her credit, amongst others, the construction of the jobs, salaries and benefits hierarchies of:
a)    The Guyana Audit Office
In this case the recommendations were passed in Parliament as Regulations to the Audit Act of 2004;
b)    Guyana Geology and Mines Commission;
c)    Guyana Livestock Development Authority
Also local private sector organizations, as well as eminent Regional Institutions. Every structure was built on internationally accepted principles and practices, much unlike the ‘gut-feeling’ approach which KN’s Column appeared to suggest may have been used in the past, with regard to Parliamentarians. One implication emerging from Mr. Ramkarran’s ‘honeymoon’ piece is the observance by good leadership of listening being the most critical part of the conversation.
E.B. John

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