Latest update April 2nd, 2025 8:00 AM
Aug 19, 2020 Letters
DEAR EDITOR,
One observes the relatively uninformed alarums raised about individual public officers’ salaries (and benefits), outside of the context of those approved by Parliament, and supplemented by any subsequent official action.
The following information should help to put some of the reactions in a slightly more informed perspective. For example, since the late 20th century Parliaments had approved and maintained a constipated fourteen (14) grade Job/Position Structure.
Following are the values approved by Parliament in 2019, effective 2018. As can be seen the Table below is an extract from the National Estimates approved in 2019, which shows the salary scales applicable up to that point in time.
APPENDIX R (a)
SCHEDULE OF SALARY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE
(FROM 1ST JANUARY, 2018)
Band Minimum G$/Month Maximum G$/Month Minimum G$/Daily Maximum G$/Daily
14 404,558 715,802 – –
13 335,630 563,428 – –
12 271,507 462,545 – –
11 220,554 354,807 – –
10 175,366 287,058 – –
9 141,804 220,829 – –
8 121,564 175,612 – –
7 102,058 142,105 4,255 6,194
6 88,621 111,153 3,852 4,629
5 76,988 96,946 3,439 4,045
4 70,281 79,893 3,079 3,559
3 67,214 76,116 2,955 3,405
2 64,200 72,053 2,746 3,147
1 64,200 70,073 2,537 2,837
It followed however that the Government of the day in November 2019, announced, and had implemented, a number of adjustments for all Public Sector agencies – one effect of which was the establishment of a new minimum salary/wage of $70,000 per month retroactive from January 01, 2019, along with 9% and 8.5% increase for employees earning:
$64,200 – $99,999 – 9%
$100,000 – $990,000 – 8.5%
The announcement ignored the fact that the maximum for the highest salary scale (Grade 14) was officially gazetted at $715,802.
What allowances were increased were in respect of the lower grade employees which were overdue for decades anyhow:
Station Allowance
Hinterland Allowance
Risk Allowance
Uniform Allowance
which would apply only minimally to more senior Public Servants, whose other conditions of employment have never been publicised over the years (except for leave) and presumably would have been applicable on a grade by grade basis.
Hopefully the above throws some light on the much discussed issue of compensation management in the Public Service and related Public Sector Agencies.
E.B. John
Apr 02, 2025
Kaieteur Sports- Golfer Joseph Szeplaki was crowned winner of the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC)/ STP Investments Inc. Tournament held on Saturday March 30, 2025 at their East Coast Demerara (ECD)-based...Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The United States has spoken. Reacting to the conviction of Marine Le Pen in a French... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- Recent media stories have suggested that King Charles III could “invite” the United... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]