Public Service Minister, Sonia Parag says that while the former APNU+AFC administration provided salary increases to public servants during its tenure in office, it recouped those increases with the imposition of unnecessary taxation. She likened it to “giving with one hand while taking with the other”.
“Salary increases were given, yes, by the APNU+AFC, but what did they do? They deliberately raised the cost of living by pushing on the backs of every Guyanese, taxes on 200 items…So they gave with one hand and snatched with the other hand throughout the five years,” she told the House yesterday.
She boasted that Budget 2022, which was presented by the subject Minister, Dr Ashni Singh last week, consists of no new taxes, but in fact, proposes reduction in some, inclusive of excise tax on selected vehicles, amongst other measures.
She noted that despite her administration discovering an “empty treasury” when it got into office in August 2020, the regime still managed to issue a one-off $25,000 cash grant as well as a 7 per cent across-the-board, and retroactive increase to government workers last year against high cost of living and a raging pandemic.
She assured Guyanese that there will be incremental increases to public servants’ wages and salaries each year. This was a direct response to accusations made by members of the parliamentary opposition, that nothing is included in Budget 2022 for public servants.
She said that historically, no increase to public servants’ wages and salaries is placed in budgets, rather at the end of the fiscal year an announcement is made by government of a percentage increase, whether across the board or based on salary scales.
