PPP/C rejects misinformation peddled by Govt Ministers

… says Opposition salary increase sitting in Parliament’s bank account

The 32 members of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in the National Assembly have not collected one cent of the salary increase that was foisted on it when the coalition A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government unilaterally increased the salaries of its Ministers by as much as 100 per cent along with other Members of Parliament (MPs).

The disclosure was made by PPP/C Chief Whip Gail Teixeira, who was forced to interrupt the debates for the 2017 National Estimates to offer the clarifications and to reject the misinformation being peddled by the Government Minister.
The insinuation was proffered by Government speaker, Minister with responsibility for the housing sector, Minister Valerie Sharpe-Patterson.
Minister Sharpe-Patterson in her presentation sought to give the impression that the members of the political Opposition had in fact accepted the salary increase, as was the case with members of the Government’s side of the House. Teixeira immediately rose to her feet to challenge the assertion made by Minister Sharpe-Patterson.
After a brief back and forth between Speaker of the National Assembly, Dr Barton Scotland and members of the House, Teixeira informed the members that the Minister was erroneous in her assertion.
The PPP/C Chief Whip instead told the House that her party has in fact requested, of the Clerk of the National Assembly, the setting up of a bank account to deposit the increases.
The money is meant to be turned over to a charity to be chosen by the PPP/C.
She said the Clerk was written to by the Opposition requesting that the increases in their salaries be deducted and paid into the account.
Teixeira also dismissed the assertion made by the Minister that the PPP/C had actually said that it would refuse the increases.
She said the PPP/C is on public record saying that the money will be going towards a charity of its choosing and that the money has since been accumulating in the bank account facilitated by the Clerk of the National Assembly.
In an Extraordinary Official Gazette published on September 25, 2016, a mere four months after taking Office, it was noted that the order for the increases of 50 per cent was made on September 23, by Finance Minister Winston Jordan.
According to the order, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will be paid $20,580,000 per annum which works out to just over $1.7 million per month.
Vice Presidents received $11,135,064 per annum or $927,000 per month. Senior Government Ministers are slated for a $10 million annual salary at $869,000 per month, while Junior Ministers will receive close to $700,000 per month.
Parliamentarians were paid $2,402,532 each year. Increases were also given to the Chief Whips and the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. (Gary Eleazar)