Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday vowed that the PPP/C will continue to challenge the contentious ministerial salary hikes, after its attempt to table a parliamentary motion for a reversal of the increases hit a snag.
“It could not be laid today but let me stress that that will not stop us from tabling it again at the first opportunity available to us,” Jagdeo told Stabroek News yesterday.
Jagdeo has slammed the payment of the increases as illegal and the PPP/C had hoped to table a motion for an urgent debate and to place a stay on the execution of the increase until the National Assembly resolves the issue. The motion 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. Jagdeo and Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo had a brief exchange of words about salaries yesterday after the sitting ended. “You know the 50%… it was wrong,” Jagdeo said from across the room to Nagamootoo, who told him in return, “Don’t give up the parliament money, give up the millions.”
“What millions?” a seemingly perplexed Jagdeo asked, to which Nagamootoo replied, “Your hefty presidential pension.” Jagdeo did not reply and was distracted by members of his party and left the Chambers shortly after.
The PPP/C wanted the motion to be placed on the Order Paper for yesterday’s sitting of the National Assembly but this was not allowed by Clerk of the National Assembly Sherlock Isaacs. Isaacs explained that the motion cannot be laid until after the Order, made by the Minister of Finance and issued under Ministers, Members of the National Assembly and Special Offices (Emoluments) Act, is laid in the House.
At yesterday’s sitting of the House, the Minister of Finance laid the Order, which caters for a 50% increase in the salary paid to Cabinet Ministers, as well as increases for junior ministers, MPs, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and the Prime Minister.
Nagamootoo would have earned $1.7M monthly for his parliamentary duties but he said that he will collect his National Insurance Scheme pension instead of the parliamentary monies. The law stipulates that only one sum can be collected, either the pension or the salary. Jagdeo has also opted to collect his presidential pension instead of the parliamentary salary for the post of Leader of the Opposition.
Jagdeo on Wednesday revealed that the salary increases were paid by Parliament Office to PPP/C MPs, despite their declarations that they would not be accepting them. He further noted that the payment of the increases contravened the law as the relevant order had not yet been laid in Parliament.
“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. All of this is designed to defeat the PPP/C’s efforts to challenge these unconscionable salary increases in the National Assembly,” he said in a statement, while noting that the decision to pay the salary increases was done clandestinely.
“We are again witnessing similar trickery and deception. But this will not stop us from proceeding with our Motion in the National Assembly and from pursuing every other available avenue to annul and reverse these reprehensible salary increases which we now realize have been paid in violation of the law and Parliamentary norms and practices,” he added.
A source in the opposition has said that that the increases will likely be donated to charity.
