In an address to the nation from the garden at State House, President David Granger this afternoon assured public servants that the government is in their corner as he announced increases in salary and allowances for public servants.
“Public servants’ minimum wage will be increased to $70,000 from $64,220 per month. This represents a nine percent increase for 2019 and an overall increase of seventy-seven per cent since the APNU+AFC Coalition Government entered office in 2015 when the minimum wage stood at $39,540; sweeper-cleaners in the Public Education System will now receive the new minimum wage of $70,000”.
President Granger also announced that Public servants earning between $100,000 and under $1 million per month will receive an 8.5% increase, while those earning less than $100,000 will also receive a 9% increase in their salaries.
The President explained that Public servants earning a minimum wage of $64,220 will receive, in their December pay cheque an extra $69,336, which is a sum in excess of their base salaries. All of the increases will be retroactive to January 2019 and the back pay will be tax free.
He also announced increases in several allowances for public servants.
Station Allowances will be increased by over 260% from $2,800 to $10,000; Hinterland allowances will be increased by between 100% and 600% from between $4000 and $12,000 to $24,000;
Risk allowance will be increased by 900% from $500 to $5000 and uniform allowance for health sector workers will be increased from $13,000 and $22,135 to $15,000 and $30,000. The on-call allowance for doctors will be also be increased.
In his statement, President Granger said he is pleased to announce the increases since he believes a proficient Public Service is essential for Guyana’s economic prosperity, institutional stability, national security and social cohesion.
He said his government will continue to pay keen attention to ensuring that emoluments keep abreast of economic changes in society so that public servants could maintain satisfactory standards of living.
“Public Servants have received annual increases in their wages and salaries consistently since 2015. Personal allowances have increased significantly, the income-tax rate has been reduced and the tax on employee’s contribution to NIS was removed, over the last four years. Special attention was given, also, to certain categories of workers such as teachers, sweeper-cleaners and engineers, among others. Increases in salaries and wages have made a positive impact on the performance of public servants themselves, on their households and on the national economy as a whole. Public servants provide public goods and services which benefit everyone and every sector of the economy”, President Granger noted.
Government officials met yesterday with the Guyana Public Service Union on the issue. The union has not released any statement since that engagement.
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