Dear Editor,
I have been following all of the back and forth over the pension and benefits President Bharrat Jagdeo will receive when he demits office shortly and would like, as a young Guyanese, to add my two cents.
I think Mr Jagdeo is entitled to a handsome pension. But he should only get it after he reaches pensionable age. He is just 47 years old and has many productive years ahead of him. If I am to believe all the good things that were said about Mr Jagdeo at his day of appreciation then I would have to say that after he ceases to be president of Guyana, he will be a much sought after man in the region and in the international community jobwise. He will be able to earn handsomely and might not even have much time to spend here in his country of birth.
When he retires, if he chooses to come back here and rest on his laurels, his pension can then be applied – that’s one cent.
With my second cent, I would like to address the numbers or what people are calling limits or caps on the benefits Mr Jagdeo will receive. The numbers should be specified: one maid (he is a single man with no children); one guard (by the time he’s retired he won’t need more); one gardener (he can do some of the gardening, it’s the kind of thing retirees do); one car every 8 years and one driver.
I believe that’s more than fair and I’m sure Mr Jagdeo will agree; after all, as he often says, much of what he has done has been for the good and benefit of Guyana. Altruism, as we all know, does not seek reward; it’s not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Taylor
