Faced with a barrage of criticisms over his seemingly arrogant stance in reacting to questions about significant salary increases granted to ministers, Minister of State Joseph Harmon yesterday offered an apology to the Guyanese people, except for the members of the PPP/C.
More than a month after he exclaimed “I’m not going to make any apologies whatsoever for ministers getting an increase in salaries, they deserve it,” Harmon resurfaced for the first time at a post-cabinet press conference and apologised for his remark.
“I said I had no apologies to make to the PPP but in the event that the Guyanese people felt offended by my statement, then to the Guyanese people I would say, if they felt hurt or offended by it, I would say that I apologise…,” Harmon said.
Harmon said that his apology was being made with the condition that the PPP/C was excluded. “Not to the PPP because I don’t believe they deserve it,” he declared.
The main opposition PPP/C, has continued to criticise government over the pay increases for ministers, parliamentarians and a number of constitutional office holders, which it wants debated in the National Assembly. It has said that it would not be accepting the increases and may possibly donate them to charitable causes.
In what is seen as a move to repair his image in the fallout from the backlash his comments had generated, Harmon donated the value of his salary increase for October to the people of Crane, West Coast Demerara, for the installing of street lights in the village and proclaimed that he will donate the same amount from his November and December salaries to communities in Berbice and Essequibo.
The highly controversial salary increases were also heavily criticised by members of civil society. Members of Parliament without a designation have seen a 20% salary increase, taking their annual salaries from $2,002,116 to $2,402,532. Parliamentary secretaries and the Chief Whip now earn over 12% more, with their salaries moving from $3,336,876 and $2,384,328 to $3,753,984 and $2,682,360 respectively.
The increases were quietly gazetted without a public announcement and this did not find favour with the public.
As concerns grew and the public outcry many, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman pleaded with the populace to trust his government as they felt the increases were not only fair but necessary.
“We say to the people of Guyana to trust us. You trusted us with government on May 11, we ask you to continue to trust and to believe in us,” Trotman has stated when asked to say something to the ordinary man who earns $50, 000 while government members are now set to collect large salaries.
Most of the criticisms centred on the fact that the APNU+AFC government is still in its infancy stage, having assumed office in May, and in the wake of public servants receiving a 5% increase, which was only made retroactive from July this year. They had originally been promised a “significant” hike. Harmon was also severely criticised for his “no apology” remark.
