More public servants to get retroactive sums 

— New Finance Circular guarantees retroactive sums to be paid to more categories of public servants 

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, November 26, 2019

More Public Servants are now slated to receive retroactive salary sums following a newly released Wages/Salary Increase for 2019 Circular released by the Ministry of Finance.

The circular is quoted as stating that “all retroactive sums related to the salary increases for 2019, shall be paid free of income tax. Given that “new recruits”, that is, persons employed during 2019, would not have had a salary as at December 31, 2018, they shall be eligible for retroactive sums effective from their date of employment.”

This ensures that all members of the traditional public service – those employed in Ministries, Departments not under Ministerial control, Regional Administrators and Public Service-related Agencies, as well as all members of the Disciplined Services who have been employed at any time in 2019, will also benefit from the increase.

The increase and retroactive sums do not apply to ministers of the government and other Members of Parliament (MPs).

Before the recent announcement of retroactive salaries, only public servants employed on or before December 31, 2018, were widely understood to be beneficiaries of the government’s annual increase.

Additionally, public servants who have received a promotion or an adjustment of salary after December 31, 2018, which resulted in a higher salary than of that of the 2019 salary/wage increase will also be eligible for increases related to their respective salaries earned over the associated periods. Government pensions also will reflect the increases.

The December pay date for public servants still stands as at December 16, 2019.