AS members of the Disciplined Services head to the polls this coming Friday, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, appealed to them to cast their vote wisely and consciously, and to consider the party that has always supported them.

The Head of State made this appeal as he addressed a massive crowd on Wednesday evening in the farming community of Black Bush Polder.
When the then A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition government assumed office back in 2015, it stopped the one-month tax-free Christmas bonus for the Joint Services, leaving thousands of families in distress.

“Vote with your conscious, vote with your dignity, vote with honour, vote for the party that gave you back your bonus. Today you have more scholarships, more access to training, access to housing [and] salaries.”

The one-month tax-free Christmas bonus is a key initiative by the PPP/C government and has been in place since 2002. Through this initiative, members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and Guyana Police Force (GPF) receive more money at the end of the year.
Immediately after assuming office, President Ali moved to restore the bonus, and by 2024, thousands of ranks received approximately $1.6 billion in bonuses.
Additionally, President Ali announced an increase in the minimum wage for junior ranks and officers to $130,000 earlier this year, to level the playing field among the various agencies within the Joint Services.

“You can expect in the next term continued support for home ownership, expanded increases in your salary, training, support for your medical services and support for a quality of life [that] is second to none,” President Ali assured.

The Head of State called on members of the Joint Services to cast their ballot consciously, saying Guyanese will join on September 1 to deliver a victory for the PPP/C so that progress can continue and Guyanese can prosper.