The $18,200 promised as Old Age Pension in the 2016 National Budget will become payable from today.The Government Information Agency (GINA) spoke with some pensioners about how this new amount would benefit them. GINA also asked their views on the 20 per cent reduction in electricity rates, and this is what they said:
Patricia Halls: “I’m very confident and very happy about the increase. I mean, it’s just something more that we can be able to put our breakfast on our table, and I thank God for that. I can able to do that especially for my grandchildren.”
Rupert Gomes: “I thank the Good Lord for the increase, because we didn’t deh no way better; we de punishing more bad and that’s about (as) much I can say. I happy about it.”
Paula Green: “I think it’s great, because you have to (be) thankful for small mercies. We have bigger ones to come; and for my mom I think it’s ok, because everybody else do for her, but the 18 (thousand) is good for her.”
Nearly 50,000 pensioners will benefit from the $1200 increase which became effective on April 01st.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan, during his 2016 Budget Speech to the National Assembly on January 29, 2016, noted that within the eight months the APNU+AFC had been in Government, Old Age Pension had increased by 38.7 per cent, representing the largest increase in recent memory.
With the 20 per cent reduction in electricity rate, many persons are happy and relieved.
Meena Khan: “Yes I’m happy that we get the 20 per cent off right; very, very happy. Well, at least I don’t have a husband and I will try. The money might come in my pocket to buy thing (to) eat.”
Marcia Charles: “I feel good! I feel good about the 20 per cent, I feel good about it! I feel real good about it, because I didn’t know they got 20 per cent discount until you came and told me, and I feel real good about it.”
GPL, in a press statement, announced a 20 per cent reduction in net rates for the supply of electricity across all tariff categories. This was made possible after an intensive review by the new Board of Directors in consultation with its executive management team.
According to GPL, “This reduction will be applied as a five per cent reduction on the basic rate of both fixed charge and energy charge, and a further 15 per cent fuel rebate on the energy charge.
This is given that the company had previously applied an interim 10 per cent fuel rebate on the energy charge in March 2015.
