Gov’t grants 6% retroactive pay hike for public servants

Public service employees will be getting a 6% retroactive pay increase for this year, Head of the President Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon announced yesterday.

Dr. Roger Luncheon
Dr. Roger Luncheon

According to a statement from the Government Information Agency (GINA), Dr Luncheon said, “Cabinet has decided to grant a 6% across the board increase on wages and salaries for 2009 for eligible public service employees.” He was further quoted as saying, “The 6% across the board increase will be retroactive to January 1, 2009,” Luncheon further stated.

The announcement was made yesterday at the Office of the President (OP), where Luncheon was joined by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh.  The Finance Minister was at the time carrying a copy of the financial circular that will instruct the Accounts Departments of all Government agencies to account for the increase, GINA reported.

Dr Luncheon indicated that the payment of the increase was in keeping with the commitment of the PPP/C administration to increase the wages and salaries of public servants, despite of the global financial crisis that affected the world.

In July, President Bharrat Jagdeo said that there would have been such an increase and later confirmed this, saying that it proved that the administration had managed the country’s economy well in the time of turmoil.

This increase follows a 10% increase that was granted to public servants last year. This was issued in two parts-a 5 percent retroactive increase to January 1, 2008 was granted in May 2008 and another 5 percent increase retroactive to January 1, 2008 was granted in December 2008, GINA noted.