No 20 percent salary hike, 50K bonus for police in 2016 budget

Last Updated on Monday, 22 February 2016, 14:18 by Denis Chabrol

Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan said the 2016 budget does not cater for another GYD$50,000 bonus or a 20 percent increase in salaries.

An estimated GYD$4.1 billion have been set aside for the payment of emoluments.

Ramjattan was at the time responding to questions from Shadow Public Security Minister, Clement Rohee and People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) parliamentarian, Joseph Hamilton during the consideration of estimates for the 2016 National Budget.

Ramjattan said a 20 percent hike “has not been catered for” and in relation to a bonus identical to the amount paid last year-end by the coalition-led government he said “at this stage I can’t say,” ad “it doesn’t appear so.”

Finance Minister, Winston Jordan has already said that government could not afford the payment of increased salaries to police, soldiers, fire fighters and prison service personnel because multi-billion dollar bail-outs had to be found for the Guyana Sugar Corporation and rice farmers.

The APNU+AFC coalition had promised a 20 percent increase in salaries to members of the security services and special payments to those in interior locations to minimise the temptation to corrupt practices.

Meanwhile, GYD$275 million have been set aside in this year’s budget for the payment to Canadian Bank Note for the printing of passports.