Latest update May 24th, 2026 12:32 AM
The $50, 000 off payment should be given to retirees too
Dear Editor,
What logic informed the one off payment to only presently serving public servants? At the outset let us get one thing clear – Public Servants are grossly underpaid and any relief that is provided to them must be supported. Since I hold this view I am happy for the relief that the government has decided to provide to public servants working for less than $500,000 per month. However I have some questions for the government, these are as follow:
(a) Why public servants working for less than $500,000 per month? Should we take this cutoff point that you by choice impose to mean that you (the Government) feel persons with an income less that the said sum are in need of relief?
(b) Since retired public servants are forced to live on extremely small pensions, why were they not seen as deserving of relief? What is your moral argument for excluding them?
(c) Why weren’t our citizens receiving old age pension not considered for a share of this relief?
(d) Was Minister Volda Lawrence a part of those making the decision on this one off bonus?
Mr. Editor, even as I await a response (the truth is I doubt there will be any) let me say this; I am truly tired with the way people in authority in Guyana tend to treat those who cannot or are not organized to defend themselves. If extending relief to this needy group would have been a financial challenge then the Government had the option of changing the criteria for those qualifying for the relief. No one would have opposed if they had offered public servants $30,000 tax free bonus so that public servant pensioners could also have some relief. Further, with the explanation that they needed to also help pensioners the Government could have lowered the qualifying monthly salary to $350,000. Guyanese are known to be caring especially for their parents and their parents’ generation – there would have been no protest!
Finally, Mr. Editor, are we going to hear from the religious community, the various trade unions and their governing bodies, to which retired public servants contributed from their small salaries during their years of service? I am disappointed and not at all comfortable with the Government’s behavior in this matter.
Claudius Prince
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