The controversial salary hikes approved by the David Granger administration for his Cabinet and all parliamentarians has been paid but Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday slammed it as illegal and the PPP/C is to table a motion in parliament urging that it be reversed.
In a statement, Jagdeo was critical of the payment of the increase and reiterated that the PPP/C would not accept the salary hike. He argued that to pay the monies before it is approved by the National Assembly is unlawful and said that the party is planning to lay a motion in the House today calling on the Assembly not to approve the increases and reverse them.
“The government by hastily paying these increases in salaries to themselves is clearly subverting the role of the National Assembly, violating the Standing Orders and contravening the law,” the statement said. “All of this is designed to defeat the PPP/C’s efforts to challenge these unconscionable salary increases in the National Assembly,” it added.
The controversial salary hikes have drawn the ire of many sections of society. Members of Parliament without a designation will see a 20% salary increase, taking their annual salaries from $2,002,116 to $2,402,532. Parliamentary secretaries and the Chief Whip will earn over 12% more, taking their salaries from $3,336,876 and $2,384,328 to $3,753,984 and $2,682,360 respectively. The Deputy Speaker will now earn $2,702,880, just under a $300,000 annual increase.
Granger has defended the salary hikes, which range as high as 50% for those in Cabinet, calling the move an investment in quality governance. The increases, which were quietly gazetted without a public announcement, have been met with stiff opposition, particularly since the coalition had promised “significant increases” for public servants during its election campaign, but only delivered a 5% increase in its first national budget.
The Opposition’s motion, for reversal of the increase, emphasises that the monies are exorbitant.
It calls for the National Assembly to debate the motion urgently, and in the interim, place a stay on the execution of the increase until the National Assembly resolves the issue. It also called for the National Assembly to annul The Ministers, Members of the National Assembly and Special Offices (Emoluments) Order No.16 of 2015 which caters for the increase.
The PPP/C wanted the motion to be placed on the Order Paper for today’s sitting of Parliament but this was not allowed by Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs.
The Clerk confirmed to Stabroek News yesterday that the increases were paid and said that his office followed the law in not allowing the Opposition’s motion to be laid today.
He explained that the motion cannot be laid until after the Order of the Minister of Finance, issued under Ministers, Members of the National Assembly and Special Offices (Emoluments) Act is laid in the House. The Order is scheduled to be laid at today’s sitting.
Isaacs pointed to Section 22:1 of the Interpretative and General Clauses Act of the Laws of Guyana as justification for his office’s actions and said anyone who wants to argue that his actions were wrong, can refer to the law.
Meantime, a PPP source has said that the increases will likely be donated to charity. “We are looking to either write a cheque every month for the total increase and give it back to the treasury or donate it charity but looking more to charity,” a source within the party told Stabroek News.
The PPP executive stressed that their position that the monies paid now is illegal has been reinforced by the fact that only today, the Emoluments Act will be laid but the monies were already paid out since Monday.
The party source told this newspaper that the government is using a law that is “designed to help them to say that the increase took place before parliament.”
Nonetheless, the source said, if their motion cannot be laid until there is a negative resolution, they will do so promptly. “They are interpreting that our motion cannot go until there is a negative resolution…if the speaker rules that the motion cannot be then we will resubmit as soon as there is a negative resoloution,” the source said.
According to the source, the party remains resolute in not collecting the increases as it goes against their principles.
The executive said if their motion is supported by government and they continue to get paid, they will collectively write a manager’s cheque for the total of the increase and donate it to a charity every month.
“Yes we will donate it to a different charity every month because we already said we are not going to accept it,” the source asserted.
Meantime, the Clerk of the National Assembly believes that the staff at Parliament is deserving of the monies and would welcome the money from the increase if the opposition does not want it. He is calling on them to donate it to his employees, who according to him “really needs it.”
“My staff works so hard serving both sides so I would tell them to give the money to them…they deserve it…they do not work for much you know,” Isaacs said.
