Opposition wants wage increase, radio licences withdrawal

- as part of budget talks tomorrow with Ramotar

By Latoya Giles
The Hierarchy of A Partnership for National Unity is expected to meet with President Donald Ramotar tomorrow for an emergency meeting to discuss the budgetary estimates. The AFC is also expected to meet with the president tomorrow.
According to APNU, there are several pressing matters that the parties intend to discuss with the president. APNU and the AFC have signaled their demands. They want an across-the board wage and salary increase for sugar workers and public servants. The party insists that of at least 10 per cent of the increase must be without prejudice to the collective bargaining processes which are supposed to be held with the workers’ representatives with effective from June 1, 2013.

Opposition Leader, David Granger

Secondly, the parties want to see the rescinding of all frequencies/licences for the broadband spectrum issued in 2011, prior to the establishment of the Broadcast Authority and outside of the provisions of the Broadcast Authority Act 2011.
There has been a controversy surrounding the distribution of the frequencies which it is widely believed that there was form of “favoritism”.
The two parties will be calling for the government to fulfill all commitments regarding the issue of a licence to operate a television station in Region 10. Further, the combined opposition says that the government must provide a status report on the use to which the transfers approved by the National Assembly in 2012 for Guysuco and GPL have been put and the effect they have had.
It must institute a Commission of Inquiry and a technical commission, respectively, to report on the operations of the two agencies
The Tax Reform Committee must be reconstituted and include members who are approved by all the political parties, with instructions to have them complete their work and report to the President and the National Assembly by June 1, 2013.
Properly and fully constitute the Integrity Commission, the Human Rights Commission, the other Service Commissions – Public and Police Service Commission, Teaching Service Commission, Public Service Appelate Tribunal, [Guyana Elections Commission, Supreme Court, Chambers of the DPP, Audit Office] and the Office of the Ombudsman and ensure that the Budgetary arrangements for provision of funds to meet their annual costs are consistent with Article 222A of the Constitution are also what the opposition parties are going to ask of President Ramotar..
Government must also ensure that by June 1, 2013 all the extra-budgetary agencies, including NICIL, report to the National Assembly on the state of their current finances and transfer the excess resources they hold to the Consolidated Fund.
There is also the call from the parties to have the government reform the NIS, implement the proposals for restoration of its viability in light of the 2012 Actuarial Report and to reduce the toll on the Berbice Harbour Bridge to $1,000.
The government must also undertake a social and cultural audit into the work and professionalism of NCN and GINA and release immediately the full report of the enquiry into the wrong-doing at NCN.
Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge that in terms of NCN, they would like a social and cultural audit of NCN to see or determine the extent to which it recognises it has an obligation to behave professionally in spending taxpayers money and in operating on behalf of the people of Guyana so that is the only way the NCN story could be fixed,” he stated.
Greenidge added that they want the government to cease employing contract workers until an agreement could be reached on the professionalism of the public service. He said the capacity of the public service was one of the main factors in Guyana’s low ranking on doing business in the world.
Attorney Joseph Harmon, who holds the shadow portfolio for infrastructure and communication, also called on President Donald Ramotar to release the report of an investigation into financial irregularity at NCN from which the CEO resigned and the production manager was sent on leave.
Shadow Labour Minister Basil Williams, who was also present Friday, reiterated a prior position that the government was trying to create a parallel public service to undermine the traditional public service by employing contract workers.