Dear Editor,
Like so many Guyanese at home and abroad, I have been paying close attention to and blogging on the outrageous decision to hike the pay for coalition government officials and MPs between 20% and 50% for two reasons: 1) the timing of the decision after just over four months in office, and 2) the coalition’s failure to honour its own campaign promise of 20% increases for public servants.
Starting with the latter, I was knocked over by an errant bouncer from President of the GPSU, Patrick Yarde, who was reported by Stabroek News as saying he “sees nothing wrong with the increases of the salaries of government ministers but (that) similar considerations must be given to other qualified persons and the inadequacies of salaries across the public sector should be addressed.” Where is his anger factor?
This guy has definitely outlived the usefulness of his purpose as head of the GPSU. He went from years of lambasting the Jagdeo and Ramotar regimes for foisting meagre pay raises every year on these unionized workers and also failing to negotiate with the union, to now accepting the same behaviour from the coalition regime, which went on the campaign trail earlier this year and promised 20% pay hikes thus spurring workers to vote for the coalition.
Public servants were tricked by the coalition and, instead of Mr Yarde being outraged, he blithely hopes and wishes others would have gotten the same type of massive hikes. Under the existing circumstances, union leaders in developed democracies would have mobilized their union members to take to the streets and force the government to at least withdraw that massive pay hike. “You can’t give me 20% but you have 20% to 50% to give yourselves? How dare you?” should be among the placards carried by demonstrators and protestors. Let the government know that this is not the change people voted for.
Editor, the other point is that I am not against the pay raises for cabinet officials and MPs, but this could have waited until next year’s budget and even make it retroactive, thereby giving these same officials a handsome lump sum, even if taxable. If waiting until next year would have driven anyone to engage in corrupt behaviour, as Minister of State Joseph Harmon and others of his ill-advised thinking have advanced, then that person did not deserve the position in the first place, because the purpose of this coalition is to be an example to the PPP by putting the people of Guyana first.
By also excusing the massive pay hikes as a way to prevent coalition cabinet officials from being tempted to engage in ‘thiefing’ like the PPP officials allegedly did, Minister Harmon et al are admitting that they have no faith in their appointees to be true servants of the people, who must lead by example and be ready at a moment’s notice to make sacrifices.
In March this year, Nigeria’s former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered a 30% pay cut for himself, his Vice president, cabinet ministers, heads of government agencies and permanent secretaries in the face of slumping oil prices. In June, his successor, Muhammadu Buhari, opted for a 50% pay cut from what Jonathan had ordered. And Nigeria has oil. Last month, as part of its own austerity measures, Finland ordered a 5% pay cut for officials and when the ruling party assumed office in May, it ordered a reduction of ministers from 19 to 14. Why are these points of reference being made? To show that responsible governments think responsibly and not selfishly by making sacrifices at the top first.
Massive pay hikes as an excuse to prevent corruption also cannot be seen as limited to cabinet or high-level officials, but applicable to middle and lower level public servants. This coalition government has to know that to get normally free services from government, palms have been greased or money was passed under the table for over two decades. Cops taking bribes also became part of the culture of corruption, and I am not talking about those on the streets, but those in khaki uniforms and sitting in air-conditioned offices. Now, how do you stop all of them from engaging in corruption when you give them a 5% pay raise but to prevent cabinet officials from engaging in corruption you give them a 20%-50% pay raise, plus allowances?
By the way, it should be public knowledge that cabinet ministers receive both a salary and allowances (housing, entertainment plus government-issued vehicle), so either Minister Harmon comes clean and tells the nation what is the actual combined income or the private media need to do their homework and get the salary/allowances figures so the public can see the true picture and not be misled by the need for this sudden pay hike. Ordinary public servants do not receive allowances, but must pay for basic needs – rent/mortgage, transportation, food, clothing, electricity, water, etc, from the salary they receive.
In closing, I do not know if the coalition regime would re-think this unintelligent move and settle for having the same raise next year with a retroactive payout or if it would risk going into a local government election with this albatross around its neck and the PPP using it as bait to bring alive its dormant base.
After observing how the PPP devolved from a once popular party guaranteed to win all elections because of a majority ethnic support base to a defeated party fighting to make a comeback led by the very the man who caused its decline, I have to admit that the coalition has started off on the wrong foot too soon to instil confidence in supporters that it has what it takes to stay the course, much less win the race. President Granger always seems to be running away, Prime Minister Nagamootoo always seems to be hiding and Minister Harmon seems to be the one running his mouth and the show with early signs of Jagdeoism. It is never too early to stop and recalibrate guys! It’s a marathon, not a sprint!
Yours faithfully,
Emile Mervin
