Finance Minister lashes out at opposition coalition APNU+AFC on proposed wage increase

 Georgetown : Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh said that the APNU+AFC coalition has exposed its level of political desperation with its resort to utter promises of random “goodies”. He was at the time responding to the coalition’s recent proposals of salary and pension increases within 100 days in Office.

The Finance Minister described this recent pronouncement as even more empty promises from the Opposition camp.

He said, “This is nothing short of a blatant attempt to bribe voters and is a gross insult to the Guyanese people.”

 The Opposition recently announced that if elected into Office, they will institute a 13 percent across the board public service wage increase, while old age pension will be increased to $15,000.

What is worse, Minister Singh highlighted, is that the members of the APNU+AFC  bloc have become notorious for inconsistency; offering a different set of “goodies” every time they speak.

In the lead up to the 2011 general and regional elections, the AFC had promised a 20 percent pay increase for public servants.

According to the Government Information Agency, salaries and old age pension have seen steady and sustainable increases over the last 20 years under the current Administration. In 1992, when the PPP/C took Office, public servants were in receipt of $3,137 as minimum wage. This increased to $23,204 by 2005. In 2009, there was a six percent increase, 2010-five, 2011-eight, and five percent in 2012 and 2013.

In 2014, workers earning below $50,000 were granted eight percent increase while those earning over that sum were granted five percent.