THE Government of Guyana has provided an additional payout of $612M in year-end bonuses for healthcare workers. The tax-free bonuses are expected to be paid out before Christmas Day and are equivalent to two weeks of additional pay on existing salaries. This payment will certainly help to lift the spirit of our hard-working and dedicated nurses and other healthcare workers and professionals.

The announcement was made by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali who has made good on his promise to offer an additional incentive to healthcare workers, many of whom have gone beyond the call of duty to ensure the safety and well-being of the Guyanese people, especially during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a broadcast message posted on his official Facebook, President Ali extended his appreciation to health workers who have been, and continue to be, in the frontlines in the fight against the deadly coronavirus. “I want to take this opportunity again to thank all the workers in the medical field, medical services, health services for the continued work that you’re doing,” the President said.

President Ali used the opportunity to remind healthcare workers to abide at all times with the norms of service and professionalism and not to be distracted from the exceptional services they have been providing to the nation. He encouraged them not to be influenced by those with political axes to grind and to be steadfast in their role in the preservation and promotion of the health and well-being of the Guyanese people.

As the President remarked, the bonuses are in keeping with a promise made by his administration earlier in the year to ensure that public healthcare workers are rewarded for their efforts and sacrifices as a consequence of the risks involved in the treatment and protection of the nation against the emergence and spread of the COVID-19 virus. On November 27, President Ali made an announcement that all healthcare professionals will be given a two-week bonus in December. A similar announcement was made with respect to the disciplined services on December 11th at a Christmas Lunch with ranks of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

All of these promises have been fully honoured. Additionally, sugar workers benefitted from a $250,000 one-off payment and a seven per cent increase on existing wages, retroactive from January this year, which cumulatively have injected billions of dollars in the pockets of workers and by extension into the national economy. This amounted to a sizeable increase in disposable income which will have a multiplier effect on the economy as a whole.

The PPP/C administration is committed to enhancing the quality of life of the Guyanese people, especially during this period of the COVID-19 pandemic when the economies of several countries contracted, resulting in significant layoff of workers and stagnant, if not reduced, wages. Despite the economic constraints, the PPP/C administration was able to increase wages and salaries by seven per cent which is above the rate of inflation and a consequential increase in the basket of goods and services available to the working people of Guyana.

At this festive time of the year, every additional dollar is most welcome. The mood of the country is changing and with it the propensity to spend more. With the additional billions available to Guyanese, thanks to salary increases and additional bonuses, consumer spending is likely to increase substantially which will give a big boost to business and commerce.

The bonuses paid to healthcare workers and the disciplined forces come at a time when public servants benefitted from a seven per cent increase on their salaries retroactive to the beginning of the year. Consumers, however, are encouraged to spend wisely and to avoid the pull of ‘consumerism’ and the ‘keeping up with the Jones’ syndrome. A penny saved is a penny gained, and there is always virtue in setting aside some money for the proverbial ‘a rainy day’.