Ferguson calls out Jagdeo for misrepresenting coalition ministers’ salary increases

By Annette Ferguson M.P- Now that the Jagdeo/Ali administration has announced the 2024 salary increases for Public Servants, there is a matter I wish to revisit and let the truth be known. As the saying goes. “Facts are Stubborn things.” Since the announcement, many have given their analysis, and I am in no way can disagree. I must applaud former Minister Winston Jordan, who at the press of a button, is always willing to share his knowledge on the economy and on other matters. I publicly salute you sir!

With the retroactive increase for 2024, the PPP/C rather than taking a cut or forego the across-the-board increase, they like Mr. Ali, will be enjoying hefty increases, as the gap will continue between the rich and poor. With an economy booming because of our oil bonanza, all sectors are underperforming, but Ministers are rewarded, while our citizens are trying to make ends meet with a nation’s economy highly inflated, poverty rate, approximately 47% and high cost of living.

Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton has recently revealed the disparities between the increases that Ifraan Ali will enjoy in his December salary against a public servant, earning at the minimum salary scale.

This issue about Coalition Ministers received a 50% pay increase has been the center of discussion over the last few days and the PPP/C led by Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo at every occasion falsely accuses Coalition Ministers of giving themselves 50% increase. Exactly two years, 25 days, an article was carried by Village Voice News, (December 5, 2022); where I explained that the PPPc peddled false narratives on this matter and revealed that “not all Coalition Ministers benefitted from a 50% increase,” as the PPP/C wants the public to believe.

It is necessary to show how hypocritical and duplicitous Mr. Jagdeo is. This was the very man who is on record, like many records, stated in a Demerara Waves’ (October 20, 2015) article, ‘Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, vowed to reverse the hefty salary increases to ministers if his People’s Progressive Party (PPP) won the next Elections (2020).’

It is timely that I remind Guyanese on what the PPP/C did since they came to office, that is, for all the years (2021 to 2024), they have enjoyed full increases in salaries. For emphasis, I have provided a spreadsheet to illustrate what the salaries for Ministers were from 2015 to 2020, and what it is, from 2021-2024.

Despite the many attempts to refute the claims by Mr. Bharrat Jagdeo, he continues to expose both himself and the PPPc. This is deliberate to misguide and misguide the people of Guyana.

In conclusion, I believe with the many expose’ by the Opposition, Guyanese are now in a better position to decipher for themselves who should be trusted and who they should not TRUST! The PPPc concern is about amassing wealth for themselves and those closely aligned to them, while the pyramid continues to show the widening of gap below, where the ordinary experience challenges, while the top, demonstrates the few who are benefitting from the treasury of this nation, without impunity.

Guyana and Guyanese can ill afford to endure another five years of PPPc mismanagement of our economy, while there are enough for all, and the continuous dipping of their hands into the Natural Resource Fund. Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP/C must be REJECTED at General and Regional Elections 2025.