Former presidents take home $6.3M monthly …can pay 10 senior ministers, 13 juniors
DESPITE the 50% increase in the salaries for government ministers, the monthly pension of former Presidents, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar and Samuel Hinds is higher than that of any of the sitting Vice Presidents and Prime Minister. The combined salaries for the former heads of state can also pay 10 senior ministers or thirteen juniors, a senior government official said on Wednesday.
Former President Bharrat Jagdeo
There has been public outcry over the increase in the salary for cabinet members- with many critics saying that the hike in pay has come at a wrong time.
Though in support of Government’s move to increase wages for ministers, parliamentarians and other government officials, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) said last week that the way in which it is administered is not consistent increases for public servants.
“We believe in a wage-led economy, and we can’t believe in a wage-led economy and condemn the increase. We are not against the increase in wages or salaries. What we are concerned about in the process in which it has been applied to deliver it,” disclosed General Secretary of GTUC, Lincoln Lewis, at a press briefing. He said that Government had denied that such an increase was on its agenda. “You have said two months ago that it is not on the cards. Now it is on the cards (and) you have a responsibility to come back and tell people that it is on the cards. You have a right to come back and tell citizens,” Lewis proclaimed.
$2M MONTHLY PENSION
Meanwhile, speaking to the Guyana Chronicle on Wednesday the senior government official explained that even after the recent increase to address what the government has described as the anomalies in the pay structure for ministers, the actual monthly take home of the Jagdeo, Leader of the Opposition remains higher than that of senior functionaries. Jagdeo has refused to take the salary attached to his office in favour of his monthly pension which is 7/8th of his last salary. Jagdeo takes home $2,100,000 per month which is more than the take home salary of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Attorney General Basil Williams, the three Vice Presidents and all ministers.
“In effect while there has been severe criticism of the increase from the public the full extent of the salary situation needs to be shared so that persons understand that the issue of salaries is not constrained only to government officials but members of the opposition as well,” the government official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said. “In addition to Jagdeo, two former PPP presidents enjoy monthly pensions of $2.1M which amounts to a monthly expenditure for three former PPP presidents of $6.3m,” the official pointed out. “These pensions are not taxable and when examined further what Mr. Jagdeo, Ramotar and Hinds take home on a monthly basis can pay ten senior ministers or thirteen junior ministers,” the official told this publication on the issue on which the government has taken widespread criticism. He explained that the salaries and pensions which are non-taxable are that of the President and Attorney General and the pensions of the former presidents.
Former Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who served briefly as President following the death of former President Dr. Cheddi Jagan in 1997
“The Prime Minister, the Vice Presidents and all ministers are subject to the 30% PAYE tax,” the official said. “When you consider this, the Prime Minister takes home less than the Attorney General on a monthly basis,” the official explained. In addition Minister of Finance Winston Jordan recently explained that the issue of ministerial salaries required addressing to correct what was viewed as anomalies.
Finance Minister, Winston Jordan was quoted in another section of the media as saying: “we inherited a system where the President was receiving a salary of about $2M non-taxable, the Prime Minister was receiving a taxable salary of $1.5M while the Attorney General, the Chancellor and the Chief Justice were receiving $1.6M. Minister Jordan explained that there was no allocation for Vice Presidents and that senior and junior ministers were receiving the same pay of about $579, 000, hence the reason for Cabinet regularising the pay structure. “It is clear that there were huge anomalies (in the system we inherited). The President, Prime Minister and AG are receiving massive salaries and the senior and junior ministers are at the same level,” Jordan said.
http://guyanachronicle.com/for...inisters-13-juniors/
