Dear Editor
To say that I’m perturbed would be putting it mildly. In spite of our repeated requests for a pension scheme to be implemented at the Bureau of Statistics no favourable response has been given to staff members by the powers that be.
As far as I understand the Bureau of Statistics Act states categorically that staff should be provided with superannuation benefits upon retirement, among other things. Proposals for a pension plan were sent to the Minister of Finance since June 2011 (at his request) and to date no acknowledgement has been forthcoming despite him having been involved in the earlier discussions when proposals were being crafted.
Meanwhile, retired staff and those who are approaching retirement age have nothing to look forward to but a daunting future of diminished income. This is indeed alarming as persons throughout the public service enjoy all their superannuation benefits, gratuity, etc, upon retirement.
Having looked at the various reports in the daily newspapers from the Auditor General’s office I‘m absolutely convinced that the implementation of a Bureau of Statistics Pension Plan is a distinct possibility as hundreds of millions of dollars have been squandered or cannot be accounted for.
We urge the Minister of Finance and more importantly, the President of Guyana, Mr
Donald Ramotar to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. After all, we are all citizens of Guyana and are Guyanese, and what goes for one should go for all.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
