Latest update March 28th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 15, 2015 News
– only those earning below $500,000 per month to benefit
Having received salary increases soon after the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) was elected to office; public servants were sceptical whether they would have been eligible for a Christmas pay package.
Their concerns were however laid to rest yesterday. This has over the years become a yearly custom.
According to information disseminated by the Ministry of Finance, public servants will be afforded a one off tax free payment of $50,000. However, according to the statement, only active public sector workers earning less than $500,000 per month will benefit from this bonus pay.
The payment will be payable this month and will see some 30,700 public sector workers including nurses, teachers, members of the disciplined services and semi-autonomous agencies benefiting.
This announcement was first mentioned by President David Granger, late last week, during a recording of the television show, The Public Interest.
In the seven months since the new Administration took Office, public servants earning over $50,000 per month received between a 15 per cent and six percent salary increase, with those on the lower end of the scale receiving the higher percentage increase.
Additionally, the minimum basic salary was increased to $50,000 per month from $42,703 and those who had still been receiving the older minimum wage of $39,540 per month were also brought in line. These increases were all catered for in the 2015 National Budget.
The Ministry of Finance is expected to provide a detailed release on year-end bonuses shortly.
Reports reaching this publication suggest that while the majority of public servants are elated with the announcement, there are several in the higher income bracket who are not too happy with Government’s decision.
This is in light of the fact, that several of them anticipated a one-month salary in the past. The announcement by Government means that while some will get less than the one-month salary that they have grown accustomed to; most will be taking home a sizeable Christmas bonus this year.
Opposition leader welcomes “Christmas bonus”
—but notes that public servants not receiving ‘full-year’ benefit
Although he has described as a “welcomed disclosure” the announcement by Government that it will pay a tax free Christmas bonus of $50,000 to public servants earning below $500,000 per month, Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo, has some qualms about the promised pay-out.
He observed that public servants in 2015 did not benefit from salary increases that were retroactive from January 1, last.
Instead, he noted that the salary increases were retroactive to July 1. He said, “Public servants, while receiving a $50,000 bonus, did not receive the full year’s benefit of the salary increase, as was done in previous years – leaving them worse off in a net sense.”
He nevertheless added, “I am extremely happy that public servants will be benefiting from this bonus, particularly since they deserve it.”
The Opposition Leader lashed out at disclosures from Government that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Administration had left a bankrupt country but was yet able to find $1.54B to pay public servants.
He shared his disappointment, too, that “The year is almost to an end and sugar workers have not been paid any wage increases, nor an Annual Production Incentive (API) – despite the fact that Government has announced that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has surpassed its production target. This is the first time in several years that sugar workers have been treated in this manner.”
The Opposition Leader expressed disappointment that Government has demonstrated an unwillingness to assist rice farmers and gold miners, despite calls and recommendations of measures that can be taken to support these industries.”
His remarks in terms of the lack of support to the aforementioned industries are however not accurate.
In this year’s budget Government allocated some $23B, to support payments to over 7000 rice farmers who were left in limbo as a result of the reportedly empty PetroCaribe fund. And in the area of mining, Government was considering a drop in fuel tax.
Members of the Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) in July said that they have been assured that priority areas affecting the industry will be addressed, as the administration has committed to working with the association to deal with these issues.
But Jagdeo in his remarks yesterday said that “Of note, is that the measures of support announced by the Administration, when matched against other actions taken, leave Guyanese worse off in a net sense.”
“While some public servants will benefit from the $50,000 bonus, Guyanese have seen the removal of the $1.67B cash grant for all public school children, the removal of electricity and water subsidies for pensioners and the removal of other support measures – all aimed at improving the livelihoods of our people,” added the Opposition Leader as he reiterated that “Government support should not leave Guyanese worse off in a net sense.”
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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