The APNU+AFC government has proposed to implement measures in this year’s budget, aimed at improving the life of the elderly. This includes increasing the old pension.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan listed the measures:

1. I propose to increase the pensions payable to ex – employees of Guyana Telecommunications Corporation. These pensioners have waged a prolonged struggle to get their correct pension, but were denied by the past regime. The increases will be effective from April 1, 2016;
2. Effective April 1, 2016 Old Age Pension will increase from $17,000 to $18,200. Nearly 50,000 pensioners are expected to benefit. Mr. Speaker, in the short space of eight months, this Coalition Government has been able to increase old age pension by 38.7 percent, the largest increase in recent memory, and a testimony to our commitment to govern in the interest of all Guyanese;

iii.       Effective April 1, 2016 Public Assistance will increase from $6,500 to $7,300. Over 9,600 persons will benefit from an almost 24 percent increase since this Government took office;

1. Effective April 1, 2016 all Guyanese citizens 65 years and older will no longer be required to pay for a driver’s licence;
2. Effective April 1, 2016 all Guyanese citizens 65 years and older will be exempt from travel tax when travelling overseas on a Guyanese passport. However, they will still be required to pay the Airport Security Tax of $1,500.

6.6      Mr. Speaker, we will continue to examine other ways of easing the burden on our elderly citizens, as they too look to enjoy the Good Life in their senior years. In this regard, we will turn our attention to the plight of former public servants and parliamentarians, whose current pensions neither reflect the years of service given nor the positions from which they retired. This is because their pensions have been substantially eroded because of depreciation of the Guyana dollar and inflation over the years.