PPP wants gov’t to rescind increases for Ministers

Last Updated on Wednesday, 7 October 2015, 17:48 by GxMedia

General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Clement Rohee says the APNU+AFC Government should reconsider the decision it has taken to increase the salaries of Ministers, Vice Presidents and Members of Parliament.

Rohee made the call at a press conference on Wednesday where he noted that the decision was particular strange given that the Minister of State Joseph Harmon had declared that the treasury was empty when the APNU+AFC attained office.

Noting that the decision was “ugly,” Rohee called for “the immediate rescinding of this disgraceful decision which is based on self-interest and is politically radioactive.”

Further to that, Rohee stated that within the 2014 Budget some $40M must be hidden somewhere to cater for the salary increases.

“The PPP wishes to remind that only two months ago…spokespersons in the government were loud in their denials….that whopping salary increases were in the offering…allowing them to line their pockets with tax dollars,” said Rohee.

He noted that Harmon had declared in June that the public treasury had no money, which according to him, was “intended to dupe the Guyanese people.”

“How with the bankrupt economy and an empty treasury can such whopping increases be afforded. The Big lie has now been exposed for that it is,” Rohee stated.

“He and his Cabinet colleagues will have to take the blows from an infuriated and offended Guyanese public who reject this meat for the boys and bones for the worker’s salary increase,” the General Secretary lamented.

Reports in several sections of the media indicate that the Order for the increase was given by Finance Minister Winston Jordan on September 23 and gazette two days later.

The order declares that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will now be paid $20.5M yearly, an increase of just over $2M while Vice Presidents will receive $11,135,064 annually.

Senior Ministers, meanwhile, will receive a monthly increase of just over $200,000 with their salaries being bumped up to $869,000 per month while Junior Ministers will receive close to $695,000 per month.

“I am not going to say that I make any apologies whatsoever for Ministers getting increase in salaries, they deserve it,” Harmon had stated.