$227B in public sector wages by end 2025

– Dr Jagdeo dares Opposition challenge the facts

By the end of 2025, wages and salaries for employees in the public sector will stand at $227 billion, an 80% increase from 2020’s total.

This was revealed by General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during his weekly press conference at Freedom House on Robb Street, Georgetown.

Dr Jagdeo was at the time responding to minor criticisms levelled against the government by the opposition about the recently announced salary increases for public servants.

On Tuesday last, President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced a 10 per cent retroactive salary increase for all public servants this year. This is part of a two-year agreement that was formalised between the Government and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU).

“Those are the macro figures…so the public sector is getting $100 billion more per year than they were getting in 2020. This works out to $500 million US per year than they were getting in 2020,” he explained.

Dr Jagdeo challenged the opposition to dispute this, knowing that the numbers were true.

“These are the facts of the matter. I dare anyone of them, Norton or any one of the others to challenge whether this is factual,” Dr Jagdeo urged.

Additionally, the general secretary pointed to the growth that public servants will see even at the lower ends of the salary scale. By the end of 2025, Dr Jagdeo said, the lower levels will see a salary base of around $100,000.

“Already, in the lower end in the public service, our wages are more competitive than the private sector…our average with these wage increases…will be over $100,000 at the minimum. We’ve seen people move from many of the banking institutions now are seeking public service jobs even at the lower end,” he contrasted.

The general secretary criticised the opposition for their own sordid record, juxtaposing what the PPP/C Government has managed to do for the average public servant, as opposed to what was done during the Opposition’s tenure in office between 2015 – 2020.

“[Their increases] gave you a cumulative sum of about 36% increase in the five years if you were earning $200,000 in the public sector…in the five yours, your salary increases [were] less than the 50% that the ministers took 3 months after they got into office,” the general secretary explained.

Apart from this, however, Dr Jagdeo pointed out that public servants manage to benefit from several other government initiatives that put more disposable income into their pockets.

This includes, for the joint services, the one-month bonus at the end of every year, the Because We Care cash grant for public servants with a child/children, free educational opportunities through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), and easier, more affordable access to housing.

The general secretary, who also serves as vice president, said that the government will also ensure that the workers represented by other unions also benefit from the 10% increase offered by the government for 2024.

“This is something that is a great movement forward. It recognizes the role that our public servants play. It treats them with respect, and [the opposition] is just, like, sour,” he posited.