“JUSTIFIABLE” is the word, according to Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, in a response to queries over the recent decision by the government to increase the salaries of ministers, members of the National Assembly, and special offices.

In keeping with an order gazetted by Finance Minister Winston Jordan, the Prime Minister will now receive an income of $20,580,000 per annum, while every vice president, with the exception of the Prime Minister, will receive an income of $11,135,065 per annum.

On a monthly basis, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is in line to receive approximately $1.7M, while the vice presidents will receive approximately $927,000.

Additionally, cabinet members would receive $10,439,124 annually, or approximately $869,927 monthly; while junior ministers are in line to receive approximately $695,000 monthly, or $8,346,492 per annum.

NO APOLOGY

In responding to criticisms which have surfaced since news broke of the increases, Harmon said he has “no apology” for the increase, arguing that they are “justifiable.”
“I am not going to make any apology whatsoever for a minister getting an increase in salaries; they deserve it.”

Speaking to a host of reporters at the National Cultural Centre yesterday after the National Awards Ceremony, the Minister of State explained that, prior to the order, a senior minister was receiving approximately $560,000.
“That is money I paid to one of my attorneys who worked with me when I was in private practice. Why should I be working for that? If you look at the cabinet, you will find people of quality who are in there, and so I believe that it is justifiable.”

He made it clear that the APNU+AFC Government will not put its ministers of government in a position to squander tax payers’ dollars.

CODE OF CONDUCT
“We cannot have a situation that, like in the PPP, they were prepared to accept low salaries because they were thieving money all over the place. We are not going to do that. Our ministers will have to sign to a code of conduct, a code of service which requires them to act at the different level; so you have to pay people well if you want them to perform.”

The Official Gazette was published on September 25, but the order by the Finance Minister was issued on September 23 under the Ministers, Members of the National Assembly and Special Offices (Emoluments) Act (Act 16 of 1991). The order paves the way for the increase in the emoluments to take effect from July 1.

PULL QUOTE: “We cannot have a situation that, like in the PPP, they (ministers) were prepared to accept low salaries because they were thieving money all over the place. We are not going to do that. Our ministers will have to sign to a code of conduct, a code of service which requires them to act at the different level; so you have to pay people well if you want them to perform” – Harmon

By Svetlana Marshall