President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde sees nothing wrong with the increases of the salaries of government ministers but says similar considerations must be given to other qualified persons and the inadequacies of salaries across the public sector should be addressed.
The new APNU+AFC government has been severely criticised for the 50% salary increases that have been given to Cabinet ministers mere months after they were sworn into office.
Some critics have pointed out that the coalition government would have campaigned on providing a better life for all Guyanese and while it had promised a significant increase for public servants, it only awarded a 5% increase.
But Yarde, who told Stabroek News he was giving his personal view and not that of the union, said he would not view the increase in such a context.
“I do not object to the increase in salaries. I have a list of personnel from the previous government who were being paid higher salaries…. The only concern that I have is that similar consideration must be given to other qualified persons,” Yarde said.
He added that he does not see the salaries as being excessive but admitted that a lot of public servants are inadequately paid and a similar approach must be taken. He also mentioned that Raj Singh and Bharat Dindyal, the former CEOs of GuySuCo and GPL, respectively, were paid millions more than what the ministers are now being paid.
On Wednesday, the opposition PPP/C flayed the government over the increases.
“To grant such astronomical increases in salaries to functionaries in a government that is only four (4) months old is unconscionable, precipitous and insensitive,” the party said.
It added that only two months ago, on the eve of the 2015 budget presentation, spokespersons for the government had denied that whopping salary increases were in the offing, following leaks in the media.
According to the Official Gazette, Cabinet ministers will now receive $10,439,124 annually, a 50% increase from what was previously stated in the Principal Act.
Junior ministers will earn $8,346,492, an over 16% increase from the annual salary of a Cabinet minister under the former administration, who was earning $6,959,412 annually.
The Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, will now receive $20,580,000 annually, an over $2M increase from what was previously stipulated in the Principal Act, taking his monthly salary to over $1.7M.
Vice-Presidents, other than the Prime Minister, are to be paid $11,135,064 per annum.
Also enjoying a 50% increase will be the Speaker of the National Assembly, who will remain on par with Cabinet ministers as well as the Leader of the Opposition.
While in opposition, APNU and the AFC had heavily criticised what they termed “fat cats” with “super salaries.” When asked to justify the increase on Tuesday, State Minister Joseph Harmon told reporters that “the ministers of government now justify an increase. The salary of a minister, a senior minister is five hundred and sixty something thousand a month. That is money I paid to one of my attorneys that works for me when I was in private practice. Why should I be working for that?”
