Opposition parties criticise 10% salary increase for public servants

Dec 14, 2024 News

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Kaieteur News- The main opposition parties, the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Alliance for Change (AFC) have criticised the government’s announcement of a 10% increase in salary for public servants.

Both parties said that the salary increase announcement made by President Irfaan Ali on Tuesday is aimed at filling the pockets of the rich while the poor continue to struggle.

Former Head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Executive Member of the AFC, Dr. Vincent Adams told reporters on Friday during the party’s weekly press conference that allocating salary increases across the board continues to enhance the country’s economic disparity.

Dr. Adams said while the party welcomes any form of assistance provided by the government, it is important that the assistance is fair.

Adams said that the Vice President on Thursday admitted that “it is not just the percentage, but how much is the actual money, the people get. Meaning that all 10% are not the same. To translate the VP’s own words, this means that one 10% means $8,000 to the poor worker who made $86,000 per month.”

The AFC executive explained that when compared to the President’s salary, the average public servant is receiving next to nothing.

“So, if you compare it to his $2.9 million, where we translate the taxable salary of around $4 million a month, which means 10%…that is $400,000,” Dr. Adams told reporters.

Meanwhile, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) in a statement to the media on Wednesday said that, President Irfaan Ali by announcing the across-the-board increase of salary for public servants continues to put large sums of money into the hands of the rich and pittance to the poor.

Leader of the party Aubrey Norton accused President Ali of “privileging himself, Ministers and other super salaried PPP family, friends, and favourites over lower income public servants who need it more.”

The PNCR reminded that the president has a salary of $2.9M and his tax-free monthly increase will be $290,000 which equates to a retroactive of $3,480, 000. This added to his monthly salary he will receive a pay package of $6,380,000. Therefore, he will receive in one month more than twice the amount most public servants receive as their salary for an entire year.

While government ministers with a basic salary of currently at $1,070,000 will get $107,000 a month, retroactive to January 1, 2024, which is an astounding $1,284,000, while a level one public servant will receive a tiny increase of $10,000 per month, or $120,000 retroactive to January 1, 2024, Norton stressed.

As a result, the PNCR called on the government to “end this absurd and selfish practice of giving large increases to themselves while giving pittance to workers. During the APNU’s term in office, larger increases were given to those at the lower levels of income, who need the funds the most. The PPP’s approach is a clear indication that oil resources are not meeting the people of Guyana,” he said.

Similarly, A New United Guyana (ANUG) believes that the government of Guyana could have given public servants a higher increase. However, the party noted that since there was stakeholder involvement with the government on the increase in public servants’ salaries, the outcome should be respected by all.

“ANUG therefore believes that this December 10, 2024 agreed upon increase should be respected by all citizens whose representatives were involved in the negotiations. ANUG, as a party, believes that more could have been given over the 2-year period, namely at least a 25% increase rather than the announced 18% over the time period,” the statement said.

The government and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on Tuesday, signed a two-year agreement that will see public servants receiving a 10% across-the-board salary increase retroactively in 2024, with an additional 8% increase to take effect from January 1, 2025.

The announcement was made by President Irfaan Ali during his address at the Guyana Police Force’s annual Christmas breakfast.  A joint statement issued subsequently by the Government and Union revealed that the 10% increase in 2024 will result in a 35% cumulative salary increase for public servants over the four-year period from 2021 to 2024. The additional 8% increase in 2025 will raise the cumulative salary increase to 46% over five years, from 2021 to 2025.

(Opposition parties criticise 10% salary increase for public servants)

 

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• increase, opposition, parties, public servants, salary

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