On Ministers, Advisers…

June 23, 2015 By GuyanaTimes

…and costs

We’ve got to cut to the chase on this “Minister” and “Adviser” business. We’re a country with just above three-quarters of a million in population and a budget of just above US$2 billion to oversee, right?

So do we need 27 Ministers, three Vice-Presidents and over a dozen high-powered “Advisers” who rake in at least twice the salary of Ministers – advising the President on how to run this country!! Obama governs America, with its US$17trillion economy with 15 Cabinet Secretaries!!

And it looks like “we’ve only just begun” to hire the help!! The “ministerial” distinction between “senior” and “junior” Ministers doesn’t cut any ice with this Eyewitness. For instance, what’s the point to dubbing the person in charge of “culture, sports and youth”, the “Junior Minister of Education”?

She’s the Minister of Culture, Education and Youth”, with all the salary and perks! These 27 Ministers will each be drawing some $579,000 monthly plus another $100,000 in benefits – not to mention the duty free car.

Now while we heard quite a bit of kvetching about the Attorney General’s salary – weighing in at $1.6 million plus the aforementioned perks and allowances, there’s now a deafening silence.

We won’t even mention the $420,000 vacation allowance!! So is Basil going to return a portion to the Treasury, or is this one of the matters on the agenda after the first 100 days??

But we have the same contradiction with the “Advisers” and the line Ministers as that between “junior and senior” Ministers. Let’s take the Adviser on Governance – Raphael Trotman – and the fella who was supposed to be the top honcho in this area – the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister draws down a cool $1.5 million monthly plus all the perks of the AG, including salaried chauffeur, but plus gardeners, etc.

Now while Trotman will be handling all the burdens of natural resources – gold, diamonds, bauxite and now oil – is it fair for him to survive on a measly $579,000 per month – plus the perks – while Nagamootoo hauls in $1.5 million for just overseeing “information”??

It’s a matter of justice – including distributive justice, restorative justice, and whatever other justice you can think about. It just ain’t fair. And so we arrive at the “Advisers” to the President.

For instance, Winston Jordan will be doing all the grunge work of the Finance Ministry for that measly $579,000 monthly (OK…plus perks), while the new “Adviser on Economics” Clive Thomas will be drawing much more than that – $800,000? – as a “contract” worker.

Ain’t fair. Especially when it ain’t “lean” and certainly not “mean”, like we were promised.

…and presidential pensions

Now while there’s been no review – much less reduction – in the salaries of Ministers, (junior or senior) and Advisers, the new government will be bringing up – as the first order of business this Thursday – the matter of the “benefits of the President” once he retires.

So while the government’s salary expenses have been bloated by some $25 million per month…they’re going after the benefits of retired Presidents that cost at most $1 million monthly, tops!

While Sam Hinds and Donald Ramotar will be affected, all Guyanese know that this is a “get Jagdeo” move. Jagdeo just sticks in their craw. Some souls who spent the last decade in hibernation on a Mars mission might believe that it has to do with the money.

But as we’ve shown above, cutting costs is the last thing on the minds of this administration.

They just want to embarrass the man who repelled the best they could muster – the armed challenge after 2002. But half of Guyana hasn’t forgotten his service above and beyond. Can’t touch that!!

…and forensic auditors

The doubts of this Eyewitness about the probity of PPPC-government critics becoming auditors have now been assuaged. In his SN column, one of those critics-now-auditors, Goolsarran, assured us “not to worry”.

Topics

On Ministers, Advisers…

…and costs

We’ve got to cut to the chase on this “Minister” and “Adviser” business. We’re a country with just above three-quarters of a million in population and a budget of just above US$2 billion to oversee, right?

So do we need 27 Ministers, three Vice-Presidents and over a dozen high-powered “Advisers” who rake in at least twice the salary of Ministers – advising the President on how to run this country!! Obama governs America, with its US$17trillion economy with 15 Cabinet Secretaries!!

She’s the Minister of Culture, Education and Youth”, with all the salary and perks! These 27 Ministers will each be drawing some $579,000 monthly plus another $100,000 in benefits – not to mention the duty free car.

Now while we heard quite a bit of kvetching about the Attorney General’s salary – weighing in at $1.6 million plus the aforementioned perks and allowances, there’s now a deafening silence.

We won’t even mention the $420,000 vacation allowance!! So is Basil going to return a portion to the Treasury, or is this one of the matters on the agenda after the first 100 days??

But we have the same contradiction with the “Advisers” and the line Ministers as that between “junior and senior” Ministers. Let’s take the Adviser on Governance – Raphael Trotman – and the fella who was supposed to be the top honcho in this area – the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister draws down a cool $1.5 million monthly plus all the perks of the AG, including salaried chauffeur, but plus gardeners, etc.

Now while Trotman will be handling all the burdens of natural resources – gold, diamonds, bauxite and now oil – is it fair for him to survive on a measly $579,000 per month – plus the perks – while Nagamootoo hauls in $1.5 million for just overseeing “information”??

It’s a matter of justice – including distributive justice, restorative justice, and whatever other justice you can think about. It just ain’t fair. And so we arrive at the “Advisers” to the President.

For instance, Winston Jordan will be doing all the grunge work of the Finance Ministry for that measly $579,000 monthly (OK…plus perks), while the new “Adviser on Economics” Clive Thomas will be drawing much more than that – $800,000? – as a “contract” worker.

Ain’t fair. Especially when it ain’t “lean” and certainly not “mean”, like we were promised.

…and presidential pensions

Now while there’s been no review – much less reduction – in the salaries of Ministers, (junior or senior) and Advisers, the new government will be bringing up – as the first order of business this Thursday – the matter of the “benefits of the President” once he retires.

So while the government’s salary expenses have been bloated by some $25 million per month…they’re going after the benefits of retired Presidents that cost at most $1 million monthly, tops!

While Sam Hinds and Donald Ramotar will be affected, all Guyanese know that this is a “get Jagdeo” move. Jagdeo just sticks in their craw. Some souls who spent the last decade in hibernation on a Mars mission might believe that it has to do with the money.

But as we’ve shown above, cutting costs is the last thing on the minds of this administration.

They just want to embarrass the man who repelled the best they could muster – the armed challenge after 2002. But half of Guyana hasn’t forgotten his service above and beyond. Can’t touch that!!

…and forensic auditors

The doubts of this Eyewitness about the probity of PPPC-government critics becoming auditors have now been assuaged. In his SN column, one of those critics-now-auditors, Goolsarran, assured us “not to worry”.