Community Service Officers (CSOs) will, effective immediately, receive a stipend increase in line with the wages paid to workers under the government’s part-time jobs initiative. The adjustment will raise the CSO stipend from $30,000 to $40,000, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported yesterday.
President Irfaan Ali made the announcement on Sunday, during the Amerindian Cultural Extravaganza 2024, at the National Park, Georgetown.
“I want to say to you that with immediate effect, we want the stipend for CSOs to be same as our part time workers…It will match the $40,000 that they’re getting, because there must be no difference in our approach,” he said.
In addition to the stipend increase, the government has expanded the part-time jobs programme to include toshaos, who now receive an additional allowance of $40,000, DPI said.
Furthermore, there are plans to extend this programme to senior counsellors and community development leaders in Amerindian communities.
“This will release tens of millions of dollars again, additional money into the community, but more importantly, it will let these leaders know that we value their service, that we recognise their service, that we acknowledge their service,” the president said.
This part-time jobs initiative was implemented by the Office of the Vice President in 2022 and also falls under the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
This year, to further advance the programme, the ministry has been allocated a total of $10 billion.
