Jagdeo announces bonus for Disciplined Services

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bharrat Jagdeo has acquiesced to a one- month bonus that will be made available after the officers go to the polls on November 21, the Government Information Agency reported this evening.

A GINA release said that at an appreciation ceremony held by the disciplined services on November 17, Heads of the Joint Services pleaded with the Head of State for the annual bonus and the President acceded.

GINA said that he explained that he did not want to give them a bonus to avoid criticism of ‘paying people to vote.’

The bonus has been announced by the president in recent years.

At the ceremony yesterday the officers of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Guyana Prison Service (GPS) and Guyana Police Force (GPF) got the opportunity to bid a special farewell to their Commander in Chief and to highlight the benefits the disciplined forces would have gained under his tenure, the release said.