This Minister must give details of how
the sum was legally expended
Dear Editor,
I am surprised at the extent of coverage awarded by the Stabroek News to the Ministry of Finance phantom spokesperson in the article “Government denies withholding budgeted funds from Public Servants” published in the Stabroek News dated Saturday December 7, 2013.
Such an extensive coverage has not been given to anyone from the Guyana Public Service Union who commented on the topic pertaining to the matter at caption. Further, anyone writing on this issue should be proud, professional and decent enough to be identify himself/herself with what he/she is saying.
However, there are still many things left unsaid and unanswered by the phantom. It is amazing that the print media has failed to insist upon the visibility of the author on such a serious matter that is of national importance.
The Government’s mouthpiece, who on Friday 6 December 2013 responded to the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) insistence that the law must be upheld and answers must be given for the approximately $3 billion dollars not included in the announced five percent payout, have obviously put his or her foot in his or her mouth and/or like the proverbial ostrich has buried his/her head in the sand.
Let us examine the argument put forward, viz.
According to the ‘senior official’ of the Finance Ministry the $4,403,509 that was “allocated for the revision of government employees’ pay-packets was not confined only to those already on payrolls”, but includes monies “usually set aside in the budget to cater for new recruits and employees who are promoted during the course of the year….., including employment cost shortfalls in budget agencies.” Be that as it may, if the official is suggesting that Government over the year 2013 enhanced the staffing of the Public Service and have met employment cost shortfalls to a tune of $2.947B, there is an obvious suggestion that the Minister of Finance, whose task it is to craft the budget, is incompetent or is this official being crafty, by letting us into the secret that the funds were mishandled and spent on the likes of GINA and NCN. If so, apologies are in order. Don’t shoot the messenger.
It is however clear that the Minister must give details of how the sum was legally expended. This is the crux of the matter. There has been a lot of Governmental sand dancing and vacillating on the issue of salaries and wage increases for Public Servants. If what they are saying is true, then they need to come out of the closets and put their cards on the negotiation table. This is not being done, because the truth is being hidden. They can pay more, but they want to further deprive Public Servants of decent wages and hold them hostages.
Dvane Marshall
GPSU Branch Chairman