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FM
Former Member

That Bill ( 0f 2009) sought to provide for certain facilities and services to the Leader of the Opposition at the expense of the State.

 

These services include: rent free, furnished office accommodation, medical attention including reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by the Opposition Leader and dependent members of his family, full-time security service at his official place of residence, services of a research and clerical assistants, a secretary, a chauffeur, a personal security officer, a gardener and two domestic servants and vacation allowance as is applicable to a Minister.

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Jagdeo’s pension is US$180,000 per year; Obama’s is US$127,109

OCTOBER 24, 2011 | BY  | FILED UNDER LETTERS 

Dear Editor,
If Barack Obama was to start collecting a pension at the same time as Bharrat Jagdeo, he would be entitled to US $199,700 per year. Bharrat Jagdeo gave himself US $180,000 per year. Bharrat Jagdeo pays no taxes on his US$180,000. Barack Obama will have to pay US federal taxes of 33 percent and Illinois state taxes of five percent on his US$199,700 leaving him with US$127,109 in pension.
Compare that to Bharrat Jagdeo’s US $180,000 tax-free pension paid for by the sweat, blood and tears of the working class people of Guyana and you get an image that makes you want to truly vomit in disgust.
While the Guyanese people can’t afford to buy chicken in their own land and stagger under the weight of financial burdens, corruption and PPP misery, always thinking of running away to a good and immensely better life in the USA, Bharrat Jagdeo pays himself more than the man running the country which many in this dear land of Guyana see as the land of milk and honey, the good old USA.
Barack Obama, the President of the great nation of the United States of America that gave hundreds of thousands of poor and fleeing Guyanese a place of opportunity and success, will collect less in pension than the Champion of the Guyana Dirt. The President of a nation that gave shelter to the multitudes fleeing this nation from the failed policies of PNC and the PPP and Bharrat Jagdeo will earn less in pension than the tin pot elected dictator of a broken state.
Hundreds of thousands of Guyanese who found a better life in the country of Barack Obama send millions of US dollars in remittances to keep the decrepit cesspool Bharrat Jagdeo runs as Champion of the Guyana Dirt afloat. Barack Obama’s country enables Bharrat Jagdeo’s countrymen to stay alive in the horrors of Jagdeo rule.
Barack Obama runs a nation of almost 400 million people and is the leader of the free world. Yet Barack Obama will earn less in pension than Bharrat Jagdeo every year. Some travesties and wrongdoings just make your skin crawl. Vote for change, people of Guyana, vote for change.
M. Maxwell

FM

Jagdeo’s pension among highest in the region

JULY 20, 2014 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

At least one regional economy that vastly outstrips Guyana’s pays its former Head of State a smaller pension than what Guyana pays its former Head of State.

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Former President
Bharrat Jagdeo

Jamaica has an economy of US$15B but pays its former Prime Ministers, roughly US$3,500 per month as pension, while the other benefits are capped. This is not the case in Guyana.
Under Jamaica’s laws, the Prime Minister when leaving office is entitled to benefits such as a gardener, a chauffeur, secretary, security and a maid but no more than one of these.
Trinidad and Tobago, which has an economy of US$24B as against Guyana’s US$2.8B pays its former Prime Ministers US$8,000. Even the medical benefits are prescribed with caps.
The United States of America, with an economy worth in excess of US$16 trillion dollars will pay President Barrack Obama, US$16,800 dollars a month in pension and provide Secret Service protection, and reimbursements for staff, travel, mail, and office expenses.
Guyana with an economy of US$2.8 B pays its former Head of State, US$6,000 per month.
Under Guyana’s Former Presidents Benefits (and other Facilities) Act a president upon retirement is entitled to payment in respect of the expenses incurred in the provision and use of water; electricity and telephone services at the place of residence in Guyana; services of personal and household staff, including an attendant and a gardener; services of clerical and technical staff, if requested; free medical attendance and medical treatment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by him for the medical attendance or treatment of himself and the dependant members of his family; full-time personal security and services of the Presidential Guard Service at the place of residence; the provision of motor vehicles owned and maintained by the State; toll-free road transportation in Guyana; an annual vacation allowance equivalent to the cost of two first class return airfares provided on the same basis as that granted to serving members of the Judiciary; and a tax exemption status identical to that enjoyed by a serving President.
There is no limit to the number of security personnel, no limit to the number of cars for transportation, no limit to medical bills and no limit to telephone and electricity services.
These are all separate and distinct from the pension payable to the former president.
When the law was debated and approved by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) dominated Parliament in May 2009, the then Shadow Finance Minister, Winston Murray, while welcoming the move to formalize what is paid out to former Presidents had lamented the uncapped nature of the benefits.
Recently, the National Assembly was informed that the State had spent in excess of $45 million ($45,417,950) on Jagdeo’s light bill, transportation and security between December 2011 and February at an average of $1,682,146 per month.
This massive expenditure paid for using your tax dollars was cemented in Law by Jagdeo himself, when in 2009, he as head of the then Cabinet, caused to be laid in the National Assembly the  Former Presidents (Benefits and Facilities) Bill, which he later assented to, bringing it into law.
Under this law which was vehemently opposed at the time, it costs taxpayers an average of $3M each month.
His security, electricity and transportation alone make up an average of $1.7M each month which must be added to the monthly pension of $1.2M.
Jagdeo is also entitled to, under the Act, provision and use of water; telephone services at the place of residence in Guyana; services of personal and household staff, including an attendant and a gardener; services of clerical and technical staff, if requested; free medical attendance and medical treatment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred by him for the medical attendance or treatment of himself and the dependant members of his family; toll-free road transportation in Guyana; an annual vacation allowance equivalent to the cost of two first class return airfares provided on the same basis as that granted to serving members of the Judiciary; and a tax exemption status identical to that enjoyed by a serving President.
Alliance for Change (AFC), Leader Khemraj Ramjattan, back in 2009 had computed that the former President’s pension package would amount to just over $3M monthly. This was vehemently denied by the administration at the time.
Carl Greenidge of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) moved a motion to cap the benefits, by bringing amendments to the National Assembly. The motion was passed in the House but President Donald Ramotar has never assented to it.
From December 2011 to February 2014 Jagdeo’s total electricity bill amounted to $9,875,680; the transportation cost was $15,220,748; while security cost $20,321,520.

CountrySize of EconomyPension Paid
USAUS$16 TrillionUS$16,000
Trinidad and TobagoUS$24 BillionUS$8,000
JamaicaUS$15 BillionUS$3,500
GuyanaUS$2.8 BillionUS$6,000
FM

Jagdeo’s light bill alone exceeds most MPs’ pension and salary – Greenidge

JULY 18, 2014 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, is contending that the political

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

opposition does not have an issue per se with the pension of Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, although it is not set according to any principle used in the public service, but it is the uncapped benefits that are worrying and for which limits must be set.
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that Jagdeo’s monthly electricity bill alone at over $375,000 by far exceeds most parliamentarians’ monthly pension and salary.
Greenidge reminded that the former President received a pension totaling $37.2M up to the end of last month. This is in addition to the recently disclosed figures upwards of $45M ($45,417,950) which the taxpayers have had to spend on his electricity bills, transportation and security between December 2011 and last February.
Using the monthly average for his security, transportation, electricity and pension Jagdeo to date, since leaving office, has cost taxpayers in excess of $90M. This figure does not take into account all of the other expenditure incurred by the former president under his ‘Pension and other benefits Package.”

FM
Originally Posted by KishanB:

Jagdeo’s light bill alone exceeds most MPs’ pension and salary – Greenidge

JULY 18, 2014 | BY  | FILED UNDER NEWS 

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU)’s Shadow Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge, is contending that the political

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

Former President Bharrat Jagdeo

opposition does not have an issue per se with the pension of Former President, Bharrat Jagdeo, although it is not set according to any principle used in the public service, but it is the uncapped benefits that are worrying and for which limits must be set.
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that Jagdeo’s monthly electricity bill alone at over $375,000 by far exceeds most parliamentarians’ monthly pension and salary.
Greenidge reminded that the former President received a pension totaling $37.2M up to the end of last month. This is in addition to the recently disclosed figures upwards of $45M ($45,417,950) which the taxpayers have had to spend on his electricity bills, transportation and security between December 2011 and last February.
Using the monthly average for his security, transportation, electricity and pension Jagdeo to date, since leaving office, has cost taxpayers in excess of $90M. This figure does not take into account all of the other expenditure incurred by the former president under his ‘Pension and other benefits Package.”

Is the money from the bribe money from the broken Skeldon factory paying for the BT job in florida today.

FM

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