– one-month tax-free bonus for discipline services, GDF civilian employees, Finance Minister announces

AIMING to put more money back into the pockets of Guyanese, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, announced a 6.5 per cent increase in wages and salaries across-the-board for public servants.

While making this announcement on Friday in a televised address, the minister said that this increase will benefit public servants, teachers, members of the Disciplined Services, constitutional officeholders and government pensioners.
The increase will be granted retroactively from January 1, 2023.

He also mentioned that the consequential salary adjustments will benefit over 54,000 persons and will place an additional $7.5 billion in disposable income into the pockets of these employees.

“Our government also continues to recognise even more so at this time, the hard work that government employees do every day in delivering services to the people of Guyana and in particular, we recognise the continued dedication of our men and women in uniform,” the senior government official firmly remarked.

As a result of this recognition, Singh announced that the government will be giving a one-month tax free bonus to all members of the Discipline Services.

According to him, this will benefit 12,000 members of the uniformed services and will place an additional $1.5 billion of disposable income into their pockets.

Additionally, he said that for the first time, the bonus will be paid to the civilian employees of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

“…Work will start immediately to ensure that all persons receive their salaries, together with the retroactive amounts and in the case of the discipline services, together with the one-month tax free bonus no later than the designated pay day in December,” the minister told the public.

While giving his reassurance, Singh said that his government remains firmly committed to ensuring that all categories of workers enjoy a continuously improved standard of living, better opportunities and brighter prospects for the future.

He went to add: “And even as we face these unprecedented challenges of our time, we remain firmly focused on the task of advancing and accelerating our development agenda aimed at realising in the shortest possible time, improved wellbeing and prosperity for all Guyanese.”

RELIEF

Last month, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, announced $25,000 one-off tax-free bonuses for public servants, including teachers, members of the disciplined services and employees of semi-autonomous agencies and public enterprises across Guyana.

“So, all workers in this category will receive a one-off $25,000 bonus payable in December 2023. This will bring benefit to 67,000 workers across the spectrum of these categories; 67,000 workers at a cost of $1.7 billion,” he had announced.

Also, pensioners across the country will also receive a $25,000 bonus, while persons living with disabilities will receive $35,000.

According to the President Ali, these grants will benefit over 72,000 pensioners at a cost of $1.8 billion and 19,000 persons who are registered on the public assistance register at a cost of $660 million; this too will be paid in December.

“These one-off bonus payments will benefit almost 160,000 persons and increase their disposable incomes by over $4.1 billion.” President Ali said.

He had also announced that teachers cross Guyana are set to benefit from major adjustments to their salaries and allowances.

According to President Ali, the new adjustments to teachers’ salaries, and interventions will accumulate to a total of $1.9 billion in additional disposable income for the country’s educators.

All graduate teachers who are holders of a relevant bachelor’s degree from the University of Guyana, a degree-awarding institution under the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme, or a degree certified by the National Equivalency Board, will be moved to the maximum point of the scale applicable to the post they currently occupy.

This, the President said, will benefit over 4,000 teachers at an additional annual cost of $ 1 billion, effective from December 1, 2023. Additionally, teachers will receive an education allowance of $ 10,000 monthly for holders of a bachelor’s degree; this allowance, he said, would be equivalent to $120,000 annually.

Meanwhile, teachers who are holders of a master’s degree will receive $ 20,000 and those who are holders of a doctorate will receive $30,000. These adjustments will see teachers earning, respectively, an additional $240,000, and $360,000 annually.

These revisions in allowances will benefit over 4,500 teachers at an additional annual cost of $500 million.

Further, he revealed that education allowances for teachers in remote areas will be adjusted upwards from its current level to $20,000. This will also take effect from December 1, 2023. This will benefit of over 2,400 teachers at an additional annual cost of $260 million.

Outside of salaries and allowances, all teachers who hold a substantive appointment as a Senior Master/Mistress or above, and are within three years of retirement and have not previously received a duty-free concession on a motor car, are entitled to a duty-free concession for a motor car up to 1500cc. This intervention, according to the President, is expected to cost $150 million annually.