The Opposition, A Partnership of National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), is blasting the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government for doing nothing to address the escalating cost of living and not paying salary increase for 2023.
At its press conference Thursday, the Opposition said true to its “anti-working class and anti-poor nature, the incompetent and corrupt PPP government has displayed its usual heartlessness in refusing to grant any salary and wage increases to teachers, the police, the Guyana Defence Force and public servants.” The Opposition is also lambasting the government for failing to offer cost-of-living relief to ordinary Guyanese.
The APNU+AFC, singularly and collectively, has/have repeatedly argued for oil and gas revenue to be managed in a way that the ordinary man and woman could benefit. The Opposition has also been repeatedly pushing for the government to offer intervention measures to alleviate the economic pain of the masses. To date there has been no success.
The full statement follows:
True to its anti-working class and anti-poor nature, the incompetent and corrupt PPP government has displayed its usual heartlessness in refusing to grant any salary and wage increases to teachers, the police, the Guyana Defence Force and public servants. In addition, they have offered no cost-of-living relief to ordinary Guyanese in 2023.
Last week in the National Assembly, Minister with responsibility for Finance Ashni Singh, when asked about the $5 billion voted in the 2023 National Budget to help Guyanese survive the high cost of living, gave an answer that may not have even convinced himself. In a nutshell, he reported that none of the money has been spent, at least usefully.
Likewise, we are not surprised by the government’s bad faith in the ongoing salary negotiations with the GTU. We see no interest being shown by the government to activate the collective bargaining agreement with the public servants unions.
Last week in the National Assembly, Minister with responsibility for Finance Ashni Singh, when asked about the $5 billion voted in the 2023 National Budget to help Guyanese survive the high cost of living, gave an answer that may not have even convinced himself. In a nutshell, he reported that none of the money has been spent, at least usefully.
Likewise, we are not surprised by the government’s bad faith in the ongoing salary negotiations with the GTU. We see no interest being shown by the government to activate the collective bargaining agreement with the public servants unions.
If last year’s salary increases are any guide, then the government will likely impose an increase that is below the inflation rate and non-retroactive. It will then continue on its merry way doling out large contracts to its cronies for infrastructure projects. Clearly the 2023 Budget was not intended to help the poor. It is a mechanism to put wealth in the hands of the PPP elites, families, friends and favourites while allowing the people to punish.
The Government shows no care that midwives, nursing assistants, and nurses continue to leave the country for more respect and more pay in the UK and elsewhere. It is the people of Guyana who are harmed by the decline of our health services. When teachers pack up and fly out, our schools and school children pay the price. When our qualified university graduates migrate in droves, the people pay the price. When the public service is no longer seen by young people as providing career opportunities and pathways to decent living standards, it is the country that suffers. The PPP does not get this – and never will. The PPP must use oil resources to pay these critical sectors a livable income as we have indicated we will do in government.
On the question of wages and salaries, what do we in the Coalition subscribe to as a party and government in waiting?
As we have said before, our principles and commitments are:
- There should be no working poor in Guyana. We now have the financial means to lift all Guyanese well over the poverty line. We recommit ourselves to the $1M per household annually in a structured, open and transparently and based on objective criteria.
- We will build a modern, motivated and highly trained teaching and public service, as it is vital to the realization of our People-Centered Development Strategy which is based on our vision for Guyana. Such a public service is required to deliver top-quality health, education, and other services; to manage a comprehensive social protection system; to provide efficient services to the private sector; and to ensure the affairs of the people can be efficiently administered.
- We will respect the public sector unions as the legitimate representatives of public servants. This is an error that must be rectified and we are committed to doing so.
Under a future Coalition government, public servants will be guaranteed a livable income through several measures such as increasing the minimum wage, raising the tax threshold, abolishing income tax for workers at the bottom of the scale, topping-up salaries as required through allowances; and providing training for job advancement.
These measures will work in combination with our social protection programs (such as our cash grant program, our Early Childhood Care and Education Plan, our Utility Bill Relief Program, and our Rent-to-Own plan for housing. In addition, we will implement a Rent Assistance Scheme) to ensure all public servants (in fact, all Guyanese) can enjoy a high quality and a comfortable life.
Guyanese continue to get little or no benefit from our oil and gas resources. Hand-outs to the average Guyanese, while putting billions in the hands of PPP cronies, is unacceptable and must be brought to an end. The Opposition is committed to making Guyana one of the best countries to live in for all Guyanese.
