PUBLIC Servants earning less than $500,000 monthly are to receive a one-off tax-free bonus of $50,000 this month, the government announced yesterday. A move described by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo as a welcome development, the announcement came by way of a statement from the Ministry of Finance saying that the payout will be made “to all active public sector workers” effective December.

It was the coming to fruition of an announcement made by President David Granger last Friday on his weekly televised programme, “The Public Interest” that his administration intended to pay a bonus to public service employees.
This year, public servants whose gross basic monthly salaries were than $50,000 received a five per cent salary increase; while those with salaries equal to or lower than $50,000 were given an eight per cent increase.
The minimum basic salary of $39,540 was also lifted to $50,000, effective July 1, 2015. The sum is reflective of a 26.4 per cent increase for those still earning the old minimum wage. Coupled with these increases was an additional $5000 increase for all public servants.
According to the Ministry of Finance, some 30,700 public sector workers, among them nurses, teachers, members of the Disciplined Services and semi-autonomous agencies, will benefit from the bonus.
Just last month, while in Malta, the President had announced that members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were likely to benefit from increased salaries next year, as part of the government’s plan to reform the Police Force and curtail criminal activities.
“The Police Force is badly damaged; it was under-funded, under-equipped. The members were underpaid, under-motivated. We are now trying to correct the damage that has been done, and I expect things will get better in the fullness of time,” President Granger had said at the time.

WORSE OFF
Weighing in on the announcement yesterday, Jagdeo said, “The $50,000 one-off, tax-free bonus that will be paid to public servants earning below $500,000 is a welcomed disclosure by the government.”
But while he professes to be happy for them, as, in his own words, “they deserve it,” he yet believes they are “worse off” as they did not receive salary increases retroactive to January 1 this year.
“Instead, the salary increases were retroactive from July 1. As such, public servants, while receiving a $50,000 bonus, did not receive the full year’s benefit of the salary increase, as was done in previous years, leaving them worse off in a net sense,” he said.
He based his argument on the fact that while the move by government is a good one, it is passing strange that it was able to find some $1.54B to pay public servants.
“The announcement from the APNU+AFC Government follows claims that the PPP/C Administration had left a bankrupt country; yet $1.54B was found to pay public servants,” the former

president said.
He also expressed disappointment that the year is almost through and sugar workers are yet to be paid wage increases or an Annual Production Incentive (API), despite the announcement that the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) has surpassed its production target. “This is the first time in several years that sugar workers have been treated in this manner,” he said, adding:
“I am also disappointed in the fact that Government has demonstrated an unwillingness to assist rice farmers and gold miners, despite calls and recommendations of measures that can be taken to support these industries.”
The Opposition Leader believes that the “measures of support by the Administration, when matched against other actions taken, leaves Guyanese worse off in a net sense.”
Jagdeo said, “While some public servants will benefit from the $50,000 bonus, Guyanese have seen the removal of the $1.67B cash grant for all public school children, the removal of electricity and water subsidies for pensioners and the removal of other support measures – all aimed at improving the livelihoods of our people.”

ELATED
But Jagdeo’s comments held no weight, as workers, both public and private sector, were excited about government’s announcement.
EZEKIEL WHETLEY, an employee of the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) said, “I regret not being a public servant.
“I believe that this is a great initiative of the government to give back to the hard workers, and also it’s a good plan to get more people to cross over into the public workforce.”
Like Whetley, HEION WELCH said the $50,000 bonus will come in handy, as public sector workers are generally underpaid. Welch believes the move would allow workers to have more money in their hands at Christmas time. “It’s good that the government has embarked on the bonus,” he said.
JUNITA LIVERPOOL, a Ministry of Health employee said she is looking forward to the $50,000 bonus. “I am very happy; at least I’d be able to do a bit more… I am extremely thankful,” the elated public servant told the Guyana Chronicle.

Liverpool, who has worked with the Ministry of Health for more than 10 years, applauded the government for the move. “Members of the public sector work really hard,” she said, “and are often times forgotten. I am happy that the government has recognised us; I am grateful. Public Servants deserve this bonus; it will go a long way.”
For RHONDA ROSE, a teacher of the Watooka Day Primary School in Linden, “It is something to be applauded… I think it is a good move; I think it is good.”
She is looking forward to “the extra money,” she said.