Another $13B injected into economy

This revision benefits over 4,500 teachers. Any preexisting allowances paid in relation to the Post Graduate Diploma in Education (DipEd) will remain in place.

The Remote Areas Incentive will be adjusted upwards from its current level to $20,000 monthly, effective from 1 December, 2023, to the benefit of over 2,400 teachers.

All teachers who hold a substantive appointment as a Senior Master/Mistress/Head of Department or above and are within 3 years of retirement and have not previously received a Duty-free concession on a motor car, shall be entitled to 1 Duty free concession for 1 motor car up to 1500cc.

Dr. Singh has noted that other than salary increases Government’s approach to improving the lives of Guyanese involves improvements and upgrades to essential services under the numerous policies and plans the administration has been administering.

Some of the measures include the reviving of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant for school children, pensioners’ water subsidy, removal of taxes on various commodities as well as the resumption of the one-month tax-free bonus for the Disciplined Services.

“When you speak about disposable income you have to speak first of all about adjustment to salaries…We have also adjusted upwards a number of specific categories of public sector employees. Some as high as 50, 60 and 70 per cent. We have recently announced the cash grant of $25,000 to every single public servant,” Minister Singh had pointed out.

The implementation of these measures including Government’s housing initiatives has, no doubt altogether enhanced the lives of Guyanese all across the country including public servants who are among the nearly 30,000 individuals who have benefitted. In addition to this, public servants have also benefitted from the reduced interest rates at various commercial banks to assist persons in constructing their homes at affordable costs.    

“We take a holistic and comprehensive view of well-being. We look at the things everybody wants. They want to earn a better income of course. And so, our aspiration is to make sure that people are able to earn a better income over time. But people also want other things, other aspects of well-being. Like being able to live in a community that has decent roads, being able to access good quality healthcare, having your elderly parents be able to access a decent pension,” Dr. Singh explained further. 

President Ali has continued to reiterate that his Government’s focus is on a holistic plan of improving workers’ lives with salary increases being one aspect of the benefit that will be provided.