Senior Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh announced on Friday, an across-the-board salary increase of 6.5 percent for public servants, including teachers, members of the Disciplined Services, constitutional office holders, and government pensioners. This boost, effective retroactively from January 1, 2023, will result in over 54,000 individuals benefiting from an additional $7.5 billion in disposable income annually, according to Singh.
In a demonstration of appreciation for the hard work of government employees, especially those in uniform, a one-month tax-free bonus will also be extended to all members of the Discipline Services, benefiting 12,000 individuals and injecting an extra $1.5 billion into their hands. Notably, this bonus will also include civilian employees of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), for the first time ever.
“Recognizing the dedication of our government employees, we extend a one-month tax-free bonus to the Discipline Services, including, for the first time, civilian employees of the Guyana Defence Force, reinforcing our gratitude for their unwavering service,” he stated.
Singh also announced that immediate action will be taken to ensure timely disbursement of salaries, including the retroactive amounts, and as such, everyone set to receive their increases can anticipate receiving their payouts by the designated pay date in December.
Beyond salary adjustments, Singh noted that President, Dr. Irfaan Ali recently announced upward adjustments for specific categories of public servants such as teachers, health workers, and Discipline Services members. The government has also implemented a suite of cost-of-living measures, financed by the $5 billion allocated in Budget 2023, to alleviate the impact of rising living costs. These measures include a one-off $25,000 cash grant for various categories, with efforts underway to effect payments before the end of December 2023.
Emphasizing an unwavering commitment to enhancing the standard of living for all categories of workers, Singh said the government is focused on an accelerating the development agenda.
Despite unprecedented challenges, he said their dedication remains steadfast, aiming to achieve improved well-being and prosperity for all Guyanese in the shortest possible time.
