A Partnership for National Unity will today table a Bill to amend the Former Presidents Benefits and Other Facilities Act 2009 reiterating that while they have no problem with the President’s pension per se, it is the other benefits that appear to be limitless in a country with limited resources.
The tabling of this Bill follows up on the adopting of a motion just last week to have a parliamentary committee examine the President’s benefits and other facilities with a view to revising the superannuation packages related to office holders entitled to pension and benefits under the Parliamentary Holders and Special Offices Act and for the repeal of the Former President’s Pension and Other Facilities Act.
Speaking to the merits of the Bill, APNU Member of Parliament Carl Greenidge told Stabroek News yesterday that the amendments to the principal Act seek to put caps and limits on some of the benefits afforded to a former President. Further, he said that the way things are, a former President is entitled to 7/8ths of the salary of a sitting President, which means that with an increase in that pension, the former Presi-dent’s pension could be more than what he or she would have earned as a salary as President.
“The draft puts a cap on certain things. There are limits on household staff. Clerical and technical staff must be working on things that are non-political,” he said. “Anything except medical treatment will have a ten year time limit and caps,” he said.
Greenidge called the principal legislation one that is badly drafted, “because the drafters have been bullied. No competent legal draftsman [would draft a Bill in that manner].”
President Donald Ramotar had said that he will not be signing into law any Bill which did not have the involvement of the Govern-ment. However, some weeks ago, Greenidge’s retort was that every piece of legislation passed in the National Assembly has the involvement of the entire National Assembly – or both sides of the House, including Govern-ment benches. He said he is awaiting the Government’s explanation for not assenting to any Bill passed in the majority Opposition-controlled National Assembly.
