Coalition Govt increased minimum wage by a whopping 77% in 4 years

― 2015 saw a mammoth increase of 26%, 10% in 2016, 9% in 2017, and 8% in 2018

― PPP administration took 9 years to move minimum wage by just over 50% – from $26,070 in 2006 to $39,540

― under Coalition Govt, the minimum wage moved from $39,540 to $70,000; the highest increase in minimum wage in Guyana’s history

DPI, Guyana, Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Public servants will receive a massive tax-free salary increase for 2019. The government today announced that persons earning under $100,000 will benefit from a 9% increase while those earning between $100,000 and a million dollars will get an increase of 8.5%.

The increase will be retroactive to January 1, 2019, and will be completely tax-free. It signifies a 77% overall increase for public servants under the Coalition Government. The increase also implies that all public servants will get more than one month’s salary in their December paycheque.

Over the years, the administration has consistently augmented salary for public servants.

Immediately after taking office in 2015, the Coalition Government embarked on a programme to significantly increase public servants’ salaries after many years of a negligible 5% or less increase under the PPP administration. That year, saw a mammoth increase of 26% in salaries.

The improvements continued in 2016 and saw public servants receiving a 10% increase. In 2017, the Coalition Government increased wages again by 9%. The year 2018 was no different, as the government continued to place the interest of public servants on the front burner. That year, workers received a 7% increase.

The PPP administration had taken nine years to move the minimum wage by just over 50% – from $26,070 in 2006 to $39,540 by 2015. However, in less than five years, the Coalition Government has increased the minimum wage by a whopping 77% – from $39,540 to $70,000. This is unprecedented as it represents the highest increase in the minimum wage in the history of the country.

The newly announced increases will see public servants doubling their take-home salary for the Christmas season, and come January, the increase will remain permanently on their paycheques.

H.E President David Granger’s full message on the salary increases can be viewed on the link provided. Here