Dear Editor,
Recent statements by Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, condemning the 6.5 percent salary increase clearly demonstrates that the opposition is suffering from amnesia, is hypocritical, and is trying to insult the intelligence of Guyanese by scoring cheap political points.
Only a few years ago, the PNC, which was the most dominant party in the APNU+AFC Government, had the opportunity to prove it was genuinely interested in improving the well-being of public servants and vulnerable groups. The PNC did not only squander this opportunity, but as a partner in the APNU+AFC Government, deliberately pursued initiatives that severely harmed the well-being of public servants and pensioners.
Some of the initiatives that have permanently lacerated the memory of every Guyanese, especially public servants, and would be easily remembered, include the decision by the APNU+AFC to force public servants to move to permanent establishment rather than remain on contract where they benefitted from contract gratuity.
This single initiative reduced the emoluments of public servants on contracts by 22.5 percent and robbed them of the opportunity to utilize their gratuity to acquire assets, including land, which has inter-generational implications. More importantly, the 22.5 percent reduction in these emoluments was significantly more than the absolute and relative salary increases they received under the APNU+AFC Government.
The public servants on the permanent establishment also suffered from the salary increases granted by the APNU-AFC Government. In 2015, the APNU+AFC government offered an across-the-board increase of 5 percent to all public servants and Members of the Disciplined Services.
However, the salary increases between 2016 and 2019 varied across salary bands. It is important to note that a significant number of public servants who were on the higher salary bands received salary increases equivalent to 6 percent and below.
Apart from creating anomalies, the manner in which the salary increases were granted by the APNU-AFC Government, penalized the senior public servants for being on the higher salary bands. Indeed, many of these public servants received salary increases that ranged from 5 percent to 0.5 percent.
The PNC, which is now presenting itself as a champion of public servants also denied the members of the Disciplined Services the one-month bonus they were accustomed to receiving under the PPP/C Government.
By restoring this bonus, the PPP/C Government increased the disposable income of the members of the Disciplined Services by $1.2 billion in 2021 and $1.4 billion in 2022. The payment of the bonus in 2023 will place $1.6 billion into the pockets of the ranks and officers of our Disciplined Services and could hardly be described ‘pitiful’.
Editor, the facts regarding the treatment of the pensioners by the APNU+AFC Government are well-known. However, it appears the Opposition Leader is unaware of these facts.
As a responsible Guyanese, it is therefore important for me to remind the Leader of the Opposition that the APNU-AFC Government failed to deliver on its promise to double the Old Age Pension and make it equivalent to the minimum wage if elected in 2015. The Leader of the Opposition is probably unaware that when the APNU+AFC Government, of which his party was a key member, removed the electricity and water subsidies and compounded the problem by introducing Value-Added Tax on both.
The PPP/C government has restored these subsidies and is fulfilling its promise to increase pension. The PPP/C Government has also provided pensioners with one-off cash grants and boosted their disposable income by billions. In 2022, the pensioners were given a cash grant that enhanced their disposable income by $1.8 billion. This year’s cash grant will place an equivalent amount into the pockets of our Pensioners.
Based on the policies and programmes of the PPP/C government it is clear that the party is conscious that there is no political gain from impoverishing any segment of our society. I am sure, it is for this reason, the PPP/C Government has been pursuing policies and programmes that improve the well-being of our citizens, including Public Servants and Pensioners.
I wish to close by encouraging the Leader of the Opposition to carefully review a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance which outlines some of the programmes and policies implemented by the PPP/C government since it returned to office in 2020. By doing so, Norton may be able to make a more informed pronouncement regarding the 6.5 percent increase.
Regards,
Kevin Persaud
