7 per cent increase for public servants
-$400M for frontline workers
– irregularities in salary scales to be rectified
Public Servants are set to benefit from a seven per cent increase in salaries, retroactive to January 1, 2021. This announcement was made by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for finance, Dr Ashni Singh during a virtual broadcast on Thursday.
“I am pleased to announce now, that your government will be paying an across-the-board increase of seven per cent to public servants, teachers, members of the disciplined services, constitutional office holders, as well as government pensioners.
This increase will be granted retroactively to January 1, 2021, and work will start immediately to ensure that it is processed and paid to eligible employees together with their December salary and in time for the festive Christmas season,” the minister stated.
The announcement is in keeping with the PPP/C Administration’s promise to increase public servant salaries. It is also a commitment which was recently made by President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.
Minister Singh said that instructions were given to immediately implement the measures.
The minister also announced that frontline workers will be receiving a special pay-out to be made by the end of December.
“Your government has set aside an amount of $400 million for a special 2021 pay-out to be made to frontline workers in the health sector who have continued to face extenuating circumstances in the daily discharge of their duties, as our country and the world continue to battle the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Minister Singh disclosed.
Additionally, Minister Singh highlighted that government will be rectifying the irregularities in salary scales across positions in the public sector. Provisions for this the minister said, will be made in budget 2022.
“For example, a new graduate with a degree in environmental science might be earning $120,000 in one agency while a new graduate with an identical degree in environmental science might be earning $190,000 in another agency.”
“Government will be taking steps next year to reduce these inconsistencies, by making suitable adjustments to salaries in order to improve the parity and consistency with which persons with comparable qualifications are paid,” he said.
The announcement of the measures adds to what Government has been doing since taking office to improve the lives of all Guyanese. The COVID-19 cash grant of $25,000 per household, year-end bonuses in December 2020 to frontline workers and disciplined services, an increase in old age pension and public assistance, a special $25,000 to all old age pensioners, public assistance recipients, and persons living with disabilities and the restoration of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant are just a few to mention.