Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, remains in support of an increase in the monthly stipend for councillors of the Regional Democratic Councils (RDC) and stated that he would continue to lobby for such.

The 205 councillors of the ten RDCs across the country are each currently being paid a stipend of $10,000 per month, amounting to $24.6 million a year for central government. Over the years, there has been a continued call for the stipend to be increased, as the councillors argue that the remuneration is insufficient, given that their workload spans an entire region.

“I am supportive of increased stipends for RDC councillors. It is not at the level that we would like it to be, we’ve made representation in this regard towards that effect, [but] that has not met with a level of success,” Bulkan explained.

“Unfortunately there’s no provision in the 2019 budget. We’ve been unable to take it to that level but we’re mindful, and we’re at one with the validity for those calls. It is something that we’ve been unable to have done, but it is continually being addressed by the central government.”

Early last December councillors of the Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice (Region 10) RDC renewed their longstanding call for an increase. The issue was voted on and unanimously supported at the RDC’s statutory meeting last month. Councillors called for the stipend to be increased to $35,000.

Region Six RDC, earlier this month, also added its voice to the appeal.
In Region 10, councillors noted that the $10,000 was particularly unfair to the RDC councillors, given the fact that municipality councillors, at least in Linden, are paid $30,000 even though they are third-tier in government, while the RDCs are second tier.

However, the minister explained that it was a case of comparing apples and oranges, given that municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) operate under a certain level of autonomy and are able to direct their own finances.

“RDCs do not enjoy the level of financial autonomy and independence that the lower organs, namely municipalities and NDCs, enjoy. It means that any municipality or NDC can pay stipends to their councillors within their means, but RDCs don’t have that ability, their funding comes entirely from central government and that figure is fixed by the central government. However, we are aware of the need to increase the stipend to RDC councillors,” Bulkan noted.

“I wouldn’t want to commit to a specific figure but the principle of it being increased I’m supportive of. But it all comes back to the financial means and ability.”