Why is President Granger’s salary tax free?
Dear Editor,
In an incontrovertible period of economic slowdown in Guyana, the new Granger led APNU-AFC government’s decision to increase their salaries by over 50% while other public servants got less than 5% has in one fell swoop converted itself from “the incompetent” to “the incompetent and heartless”.
In an effort to provide some clarity I believe the more important question is: what is the cost of the new Granger led APNU-AFC government to the treasury?
Salaries – Total
TOTAL | Monthly | Per Annum |
PPP/C | $15,242,223 | $182,906,686 |
APNU-AFC | $24,450,487 | $293,405,844 |
Salaries – Monthly Breakdown
POSITION | PPP/C | APNU-AFC |
President
Prime Minister Attorney General Vice President Senior Minister Junior Minister | $1,626,858
$1,549,389 $1,626,858 $0 $579,951 (18 Ministers) | $1,800,750 (TAX FREE)
$1,715,000 $1,800,750 (TAX FREE) $927,922 (3 V.P.’s) $869,927 (10 Ministers) $695,541 (11 Junior Ministers) |
With reference to the forgoing, I pose the following simple questions to the President Granger and the APNU-AFC government on behalf to aLL of the people of Guyana:
- Will your increase mean higher productivity? (if the answer is ‘yes’ then it means that for the last 6 months you have not been working as hard as you could have been and if the answer is ‘no’ then you do not deserve an increase
- Are you saying that the only way a country can have ministers who are not corrupt is by having a large salary or a salary that is more than eleven times the average salary? If the answer is yes please show me where this was posted in your manifesto and contract with the electorate.
- Can you account for your failure to deliver on your manifesto promise of 20% increase to public servants, police, teachers, nurses while giving yourself a 50%+ increase?
- Since “public service” is intended to be a “service” to the “public” can the President and all the Ministers publish their previous declared taxable income which will show how many of them ever earned more than their current salary?
- How do you justify the President and the Attorney General’s salaries being tax free?
Charles Ramson
Member of Parliament (PPP/C)