Finance Minister Winston Jordan

… move mean not lean – Amerindian leaders

… Guyanese shocked

By Michael Younge

The 100 per cent pay hike which is being considered by the A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC)coalition Government could see the country’s treasury being depleted by $245 million annually sparking shock and outrage among various stakeholders in the country, who have been told that the economy has sputtered to a halt.

The proposed pay hike would now see Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and First Vice President, earning approximately $2.2 million monthly, inclusive of benefits, while the three other Vice Presidents will earn a total of $5.4 million altogether monthly.

President David Granger

Additionally, the fifteen Ministers in the new Government would earn $1.5 million each bringing their pay package to over $22.5 million altogether monthly.

Junior Ministers are expected to pocket $1.2 million each monthly inclusive of $500,000 in benefits. This means that the 12 Ministers altogether will drain the treasury of $14.4 million.

That aside, all of the Ministers will receive duty allowance, entertainment allowance, a chauffeur and annual vacation allowance which amounts to over $13.5 million.

In short, over $58 million would be expended on a monthly basis to service the payout to Ministers of Government alone.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan had confirmed that Cabinet is actively considering a salary increase for not only Ministers of Government but advisors as well as Members of Parliament.

He would not confirm nor deny the figures that have been floated in the public over the past two days.

On average, an Advisor is paid close to $800,000 per month which means that annually over $9.6 million could be expended on this category of Government staff. President Granger has appointed four Advisors so far; therefore they be paid 38.4 million annually.

The salaries of Members of Parliament would see the overall cost of the figure being significantly increased monthly.

Brian Allicock

This revelation comes as a governmental volte face as President David Granger has been quoted as saying that he wants to lead a “lean” Administration and the only way to achieve this is by cutting away wastage of tax payers’ monies and stopping the exuberance associated with occupying Executive Office and trailing behind a Cadillac lifestyle.

In fact, Granger had exhibited uneasiness about the salaries, pension and uncapped benefits of former Presidents arguing that it was a burden to the treasury. Only two weeks ago, his Government piloted legislation to change the laws allowing for caps to be placed on a former president’s entitlements and benefits.

The new APNU/AFC Government has also terminated the services of over 2000 young Amerindians who earned a mere stipend of $30,000 per month and scores staff from the One Laptop Per Family Project (OLPF).

Amerindian shock

It has moved to scrap the previous Government’s “Because We Care” Cash Grant Programme which saw families being given $10,000 to prepare each child in the public education system for school.

Speaking during an invited comment, Region Nine Regional Chairman Brian Allicock, brother of the Indigenous People’s Affairs Minister and Vice President Sydney Allicock, expressed his disappointment over this development, especially against the backdrop that the APNU/AFC had promised to put the people first.

Aleister Charlie

He expressed shock over the Government decision to fire the young Community Services Officer (CSO) especially given the revelations about a pay hike for Ministers.

“For me, it has been a really sad situation… I think it has gone against the promises that the present administration has made during this campaign that they were going to look after the youths. This was a grand opportunity for them. I think now, dismissing the CSOs in the country, I think it’s terrible and just to make room for those monies to go to the Ministers, I feel really, really saddened. I think they should reconsider the situation,” the Amerindian leader expressed.

Another Amerindian leader Aleister Charlie, a People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Member of Parliament for Region Nine posited, “Where is the plan for the young people? Those individuals who were on the CSO programme benefited, even though the pay was little, it helped them, and it helped single mothers, particularly in my region, in Region Nine. What are you going to put in place for these young people now? They are now jobless.”

Charlie reasoned that it appears as though the Government just wrote off the 2000 Amerindian youths as “collateral damage” to make way for a massive salary hike for themselves.

Douglas Casimero, former Region Nine Vice Chairman and newly elected Toshao of Aishalton said that it “is unfair to our young people, especially those who are now unemployed. I am fully disappointed and against the decision of the new Government especially in their period of campaigning, they would have focused on employment for youths and to me this is an insult to the Amerindians”.

Mother’s response

“They cancelled the “Because We Care” grant where every child, every child was getting $10,000 to help them go to school. Look how many children we have.

It’s like they taking this money away from the people and giving it to themselves. What about the promises they made to the people? How they expect people to vote back for them. They are just showing us that they are greedy politicians,” said Jasmine Headley, a mother of three from Diamond, East Bank Demerara.

PPP’s response

Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party in a statement to the media said it is appalled of recent reports quoting Finance Minister Winston Jordan as saying the Cabinet of David Granger is actively considering pay increases, in some cases more than 100 per cent for its Ministers and Vice Presidents.

The party condemned this act of excessive generosity to the satraps of the Granger Administration.

“As is establishing a bloated is not enough, the Granger Administration is now planning to rub salt in the wounds of Guyanese, by “ fixing up the boys and girls” with big pay increases”, it said Saturday.

 The PPP said, “this is the same administration which had claimed there is no money in the treasury to continue the School Uniform Voucher Programme and to give public servants a promised 20 per cent pay increase”.

It reminded that the APNU/AFC, while in opposition, had accused the PPP/C Government of excessive spending.

“Clearly, the Granger Administration is more concerned with living extravagant lifestyles and earning big bucks, while the population suffers, it is meat for the boys and bones for the rest of the nation. Every day, it is becoming clearer that vintage Burnhamism is slowly but surely returning to Guyana once again”, the party said.

Social media

On social media, Guyanese wasted no time in berating the Government for mulling a pay hike for itself of a greater magnitude than what is being offered to the public.

Trudie Daniels-Clarke said “I am hoping this is not true….I would more rather see 100 per cent increase for teachers and Police” while Rehanna A Rahaman suggested that, “Hmmm full them pocket first.. no wonder the school children 10 grand was taken away.. plus the false promises to teachers and others… Smh..”

Another facebook user, Nanda Juman said, “Omg…weren’t they making outrageous minister salaries a big campaign thing? And didn’t they say the economy cant afford to raise the salary of public servants? Whats this now?

And where are all the supporters who blindly justify everything they do and say? How will you justify this now?”