PPP still to decide on "charitable fund" for salary increases

The opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) on Monday said it will be setting up a charitable fund now that it is faced with a situation where the salaries of its Members of Parliament (MPs) have been increased despite the rejection that the party has raised.

Party General Secretary Clement Rohee said all PPP Members of Parliament have committed in principle not to accept the 19% increase and will be making the monthly deductions as necessary.

The PPP MPs were paid the increases to their salaries last week, although the party had indicated that its parliamentarians do not want the increases.

Rohee told reporters at a press conference earlier today that the party’s position was unwavering. “It is now a policy not accepts the increases in principle… the party will now work out whether it will go as donation to charity or whatever,” Rohee said.

He explained that even if the money is sent to personal bank accounts of the Members, the increase will be deducted and placed in a pool that will be set up by the party.

A collective decision will be taken subsequently on what charitable activity the money will go towards.

“It doesn’t matter whether a week or month pass, the principle still applies,” he stressed.

When quizzed about the PPP’s seriousness on this matter, Rohee said “all these questions that you are coming with, you’re insinuating don’t worry with all that talk that they talking, they will take the money… it is not going to happen!”

The PPP General Secretary said the Party trusts itself to do what is right by the people of Guyana and in accordance with its public statements.

According to Rohee, all MPs will meet in the near future to work out the modalities through which that undertaking would be facilitated.

Last week the PPP said its parliamentarians were left shocked when they collected their pay slips and saw that the increases, which the party objected to, were contained in the salaries. The increases which also extends to government ministers and the Speaker of the National Assembly was repeated defended by the government which has made no move to reverse the decision despite the public outcry.