By Kemol King
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Public servants in Guyana have been assured of salary increases at the end of this year, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali reaffirmed, during a press conference on Friday morning.
“As I said earlier this year, we are committed to increases for the public servants, and that commitment will be fulfilled before the end of the year.”
Vice president Dr Bharrat Jagdeo said as early as January that $10 billion has been set aside in budget 2021 for the revision of wages and salaries for public servants.
The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) subsequently wrote to the government requesting talks on this matter. The president said the matter will be addressed by the ministries of finance and public service.
Dr Ali first made the commitment to public servants during his August 2 press conference, commemorating the culmination of his first year in office.
“The public servants will receive salary increases before the end of the year, and it will be retroactive. Let me be clear on that,” said Dr Ali.
The head of state had noted that it is not his government’s vision for the discourse to be only about salary increases, but rather, mechanisms that would allow all public servants to live improved lives.
In December last year, president Ali announced a $25,000 one-off grant for public servants. Some $2 billion was budgeted for the initiative, which benefitted over 60,000 workers.
Beneficiaries included workers within the central government, statutory bodies, subvention agencies, public corporations, teachers, medical workers, members of the joint services, government pensioners and staff of the University of Guyana, to assist them with the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.