Former Presidents Benefits and Facilities

THE benefits and facilities which are given to former presidents have been a source of angst and a topic of many discussions. It is not the general view that former presidents should not retire with dignity after serving the nation; neither has the contention been that a president should not be entitled to a pension, when the constitution protects the right to a pension. Where the trouble and discussions have been, however, are at the size of the pension, the unlimited benefits, and the manner in which those were awarded.Guyana is a small country, and relative to many Caribbean counterparts, ours is also a small economy. From this comparative reference, when the public was initially made aware of the post-president package, there were expressions of concern about the State being able to afford it. The package was decried as Guyana, akin to a donkey cart economy, granting its past presidents live Cadillac lifestyles, given the presence of widespread poverty, hunger, poor wages/salaries, crumbling social services and infrastructure. It was also hoped that a compassionate past president would have taken note of public concerns and reacted in an appropriate manner.
The people, including party supporters, in their outcries, were hoping that the then government would have heard their pleas and would have reviewed the package. Unfortunately, this did not happen; instead, attempts were made to justify what the public deemed unjustifiable. The public also juxtaposed the lifestyle of the PPP founder-leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, with his successors, Messrs Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar, and deemed them as having fallen short.

In 2011, the political configuration in the National Assembly changed. Members of the opposition majority brought and passed amendments to the Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Act 2009, but then President, Donald Ramotar, refused to assent to those amendments. In both the 2011 and 2015 elections campaigns, this matter was a central issue, drawing condemnation and commitment to change the package in recognition of public outcry. It is unfortunate that this has been lost on some.

The seriousness of this commitment was evident as the Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Amendment Act was among the first to be brought to this 11th Parliament, passed again by Members of the National Assembly, and this time assented by President David Granger, making it the Former Presidents (Benefits and other Facilities) Act (No. 3 of 2015).

While it has kept intact the pension (G$1.4M) per month, this new Act has reduced the benefits ,though the view is held in some quarters that the entire package ought to be much lower, reflecting the country’s economic reality. That notwithstanding, there was the removal of unlimited cost to the taxpaying public with the capping of utilities, medical expenses, travel allowance, staffing and security.

Were one to look at other societies — in this instance the USA, considered in the world’s top five economies -– one gets the sense that efforts have been made to ensure dignity in retirement, based on realistic and acceptable measures. A former president receives a taxable lifetime pension equal to the annual rate of basic pay for the head of the executive branch; 7 months of transition expenses; and staff and office allowances, all of which are determined by Congress. For travel expenses, the former president and not more than two staff members are paid expenses determined by statute, and such travel must be related to the former president’s status as an official representative of the USA.
These personnel and their spouses receive lifetime Secret Service protection, and their children are likewise protected until they reach the age of 16. They are also entitled to treatment in military hospitals, and they enjoy the option of enrolling in private health insurance plans at their own expense. At their deaths, they are granted state funerals with military honours. Guyana has three living past presidents — Messrs. Samuel Hinds, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Romotar, who are beneficiaries under the Former Presidents (Benefits and Facilities) Act of 2009 and 2015. Messrs. Jagdeo and Ramotar have filed petitions in the court in November, challenging that they should receive the benefits under Act 2009 and not Act 2015. And while this matter is subjudice, there comes a time when the question on every one’s mind — Do some public officials care what the people think? – has to be answered.

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