Mechanism needed to determine President, other elected officials’ salaries

Last Updated on Friday, 20 May 2016, 8:23 by Denis Chabrol

The Public Service Commission of Inquiry has recommended that a mechanism be established to determine the salaries of the President, Opposition Leader and other top elected and non-elected officials.

This recommendation comes seven months after the APNU+AFC coalition-led government increased the salaries of the President, his ministers and the Opposition Leader by at least 50 percent- a move that had triggered outcry by trade unions and sections of the public.

Now, the Commission of Inquiry Report states that “consideration should be given to the suitability of establishing such a model in Guyana for the determination of remuneration for high-level political and public service offices.”

They include the President, Vice Presidents, Prime Minister, ministers, Opposition Leader, members of the National Assembly, Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers and Regional Chairpersons.

At the time of the announcement of the ministers’ salary increases, government had given several reasons including the need to discourage corruption and a loss of income by many of the ministers who had left their professions and businesses to take up elected offices.