Funds approved for public servants pay - payment starts Monday Guyana Chronicle October 30, 1999 PUBLIC servants will begin receiving their 31.6 per cent pay increase for this year from Monday afternoon. This follows yesterday's parliamentary approval of $8,862,531,741 in supplementary provisions to cover the payout and expenses in several areas. The pay increase for this year is in keeping with the award of the arbitration tribunal set up under the agreement between the government and the public sector unions in late June this year to end the almost two-month strike for more pay. There was controversy over the decision of the tribunal with the government member dissenting but President Bharrat Jagdeo said the administration would honour the award and pay the increases this year and next year. Prime Minister Sam Hinds yesterday presented the House with the relevant financial papers for consideration. The $8,862,531,741 supplementary provisions on the current and capital estimates were for the period ending December 31, 1999 set out in Financial Paper Number 3/1999. Of that figure, $1,755,000,000 will go to meet wages and salaries and related expenses of public servants, teachers, the Disciplined Services and other workers, pensioners and key and critical supplements to public servants. Supplementary provisions on the current and capital estimates totalling $415,149,071 for the period ending October 5, 1999 are set out in Financial Paper 4/1999. In Financial Paper 3/1999, $5,362,939,000 was approved to facilitate processing of Guyana Rice Development Board cheques pertaining to Rice Levy A; $776,278,542 to pay the outstanding debt of government agencies to the Guyana Electricity Corporation (GEC) as at 98-12-31. Financial Paper 3/1999 also covers foreign inflows to December 1999; the clearance of a deposit fund advance issued to the Linden Mining Enterprise (Linmine) to meet payments for community power in April 1999; and foreign inflows to pay for goods and consultancy, and final payment to recruited staff. In Financial Paper 4/1999, $11,412,000 was approved for payment of increased commuted allowance for officers and other ranks of the Presidential Guard; $800,000 to meet Guyana's contribution to hosting the International Gold Expedition in Guyana for the period 99-07-23 to 99-08-15; $344,937,071 for a loan to Linmine to meet payments for community power and cash flow shortfall; $46,000,000 to meet shortfall of Guyana's contribution to the Caribbean Development Bank for 1999; and $12,000,000 to purchase materials and to meet the contractor's fee to complete the Lethem distribution centre of the Moco Moco hydro electric project. People's National Congress (PNC) member, Ms. Jean Persico sought clarification on the various categories of workers to receive the $1,755,000,000, where some of the persons described as `other workers' can be found, whether the money was enough and what type of pensioners are to benefit. And The United Force (TUF) leader, Mr. Manzoor Nadir wondered whether the payment of the outstanding debt of government agencies to GEC was going to the old GEC accounts or to the new Guyana Power and Light Company. Mr. Hinds said he has been advised that 70 per cent of the money being sought will go directly for wages and salaries. National Insurance Scheme (NIS) pensioners are not included because they are treated by the NIS but there are provisions for government pensioners and old age pensioners, the Prime Minister explained. On the payment of electricity charges due at the end of December 1998, these payments have been made to the old GEC, Mr. Hinds said. On a query from the PNC's Mr. John Simon DeFreitas on the rice levy issue, Mr. Hinds said this was an arrangement which allowed the government to be good at some of its commitments and charge levy on rice exported to the European Union which is then refunded for the further development and promotion of the rice industry. PNC leader, Mr. Desmond Hoyte asked whether the $12M was really for the distribution centre at the Moco Moco hydro project or to pay the Chinese, who are building the facility, money the government owes them. (ROBERT BAZIL) A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples