Consumer advocate Leonard Craig has called for performance indices to be established for public service agencies which receive government subventions.
“Every time subventions have to be made, it robs public servants of a little increase on their remuneration,” Craig said yesterday, while explaining his reasoning to the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the public service.
During his testimony before commissioners at the Department of Public Service Building, at Waterloo Street, Georgetown, Craig identified the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), which he said receives on average GY$6B in taxpayers’ dollars and he called for performance benchmarks to be established and measures taken to reduce or increase the subvention based on whether these benchmarks are met.
“There should be some index by which their income is increased or reduced based on the performance of the agency. Somebody should suffer the consequences of not reaching their benchmarks, which may include reducing losses,” he said.
Craig, who is the newly-appointed head of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority (GNBA) board, also suggested the implementation of hazard pay for workers at risk.
Craig stated that the public service does not presently recognise employment based on the nature of hazard a person is exposed to.
Using the Guyana Police Force as an example, Craig explained that officers of the same rank are paid the same, no matter the differences in their duties. “One officer [may be] posted upstairs examining violations on drivers’ licences, making entries into a computer and generally doing office work, but he is a corporal and he earns the same salary as a corporal exposed in the police outpost at East La Penitence,” he said, before adding that “when you look at the crime figures, East La Penitence is a hot area, so if you are posted there some increment, even if temporary, should be added to your salary. If you are transferred then that increment should be reduced.”
Craig stressed that “a risk factor added to your employment should be reflected in your salary.”
He explained that the United Nations (UN) has similar risk allowance for its workers which is commensurate with the risk they are exposed to.
The UN website explains that “hazard pay is a form of compensation granted to staff members who have been requested to remain and report for work in duty stations where very hazardous conditions, such as war or active hostilities….”
Asked by Commissioner Sandra Jones whether the Occupational Safety and Health Act recognises these situations, Craig said it “stops short of saying that a person who is exposed to more risk must have that compensation package that reflects the additional risk.”
Asked if this rating system should become part of the legislation, Craig instead called for the provision to be included in any law that may be used to govern the public service.
The CoI was set up by President David Granger to inquire into, report on, and make recommendations on the role, functions, recruitment process, remuneration and conditions of service for public servants.
As part of its mandate, it is charged with determining what measures should be taken to improve the efficiency of the public service in the discharge of its duties to the public and to examine the principles on which salaries and wages should be fixed.
