Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh tabled two bills yesterday in the National Assembly that seek to address the benefits that former Presidents and their spouses are entitled to after they would have left office.

The Former Presidents (Benefits and Other Facili-ties) Bill 2009 seeks to put into law the specific benefits and other facilities that all former Presidents are entitled to during the remainder of their lifetime

The benefits would include “payment of utilities at the place of residence, services of personal, technical and household staff, payment of health-care related expenses, for self and dependent members of family, full time personal security and Presidential Guard Service arrangements at the resident and taxable status identical to that of a serving President.”

A second bill the President Hoyte Pensions Bill 2009 was also tabled yesterday and this piece of legislation “seeks to make special provisions relating to the pension of the late President.” According to the Explanatory Memorandum of the Bill, “the widow’s pension payable to the widow of the late President Hoyte in accordance with section 5 of the Pensions (President Parliamentary and Special Offices) Act   (Cap 27:03) is less beneficial than that available under section 3 of the Pensions (President) Act 2004 (Act No.6 of 2004).

This bill seeks to make special provisions regulating the widow’s pension payable to the widow of the late President Hoyte with effect from the date she became entitled to receive such pension.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the day Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon said that the implementation of these pieces of legislation would serve greatly to help clarify all ambiguous issues relating to the payment of pensions to former Presidents and even to their widows after they would have passed on.

When asked specifically about the situation relating to Mrs Hoyte, Luncheon said that the passage of these bills would help clarify this issue and he opined that their implementation will facilitate the former First Lady receiving more than she is currently receiving.