Dear Editor,

In an incontrovertible period of economic slowdown in Guyana, the new Granger-led APNU+AFC government’s decision to increase their salaries by over 50 per cent while other public servants got less than 5 per cent has in one fell swoop converted itself from “the incompetent” to “the incompetent and heartless”.

In an effort to provide some clarity I believe the more important question is: what is the cost of the new Granger-led APNU+AFC government to the treasury?

With reference to the forgoing, I pose the following simple questions to President Granger and the APNU+AFC government on behalf of ALL the people of Guyana:

1. Will your increase mean higher productivity? (if the answer is ‘yes’ then it means that for the last 6 months you have not been working as hard as you could have been and if the answer is ‘no’ then you do not deserve an increase

2. Are you saying that the only way a country can have ministers who are not corrupt is by having a large salary or a salary that is MORE THAN ELEVEN TIMES the average salary? If the answer is yes please show me where this was posted in your manifesto and contract with the electorate.

3. Can you account for your failure to deliver on your manifesto promise of 20 per cent increase to public servants, police, teachers, nurses while giving yourself a 50 per cent+ increase?

4. Since “public service” is intended to be a “service” to the “public” can the President and ALL the ministers publish their previous declared taxable income which will show how many of them ever earned more than their current salary?

5. How do you justify the President and the Attorney General’s salaries being tax free?

Sincerely,

Charles S Ramson

Esq MP