Deputy Speaker of Guyana’s National Assembly, Dr. Asha Kissoon on Friday issued a call for improvements in wages and pension schemes as well as fairer compensation for educators, particularly junior teachers. She urged for the 2024 National Budget totalling $1.146 Trillion to make accommodation for this.
During her contribution to the budget debates, she acknowledged that the current Income Tax Threshold of $100,000 benefits13,000 Guyanese. She pointed out however that the 40 percent Pay As You Earn Tax remains a burden for some individuals. “As Guyana progresses, 40 percent is still very high for us. I believe there is room for improvement,” she asserted while calling for it to be reduced.
Transitioning to the topic of pensions, Dr. Kissoon expressed gratitude for the strides made in supporting pensioners but called for further enhancements. Drawing attention to the definition of a pensioner as an elderly person retired from the workplace, she stressed the importance of adequately thanking and providing for these individuals. She noted the increase in the government pension from $17,000 under the previous coalition administration to the current administration’s $36,000. However, she questioned whether this was sufficient, highlighting the diverse circumstances of pensioners, many of whom solely rely on it for survival.
Turning her attention to the education sector, Dr. Kissoon lauded the increased investments but emphasized the crucial role of teachers. While senior teachers have received concessions, allowances, and salary scale increases, she underscored that junior teachers who constitute the majority of educators in Guyana’s education system, and are not in receipt of these privileges. With an average monthly income of $90,000, Dr. Kissoon urged the Minister of Finance, Ashni Singh, to reconsider the salaries of these junior teachers.
Closing her address, Dr. Kissoon clarified her position on the 2024 budget, expressing appreciation for its benefits to the Guyanese people. However, she implored for kind consideration of all her points raised, emphasizing that the goal in the National Assembly is to bring improvement for the Guyanese people, transcending party affiliations.
“It is not about bringing fame to my party, the opposition or the government, to bashing anybody, to say whose party did it better. It’s not about that Mr. Speaker. its simply about the Guyanese people,” she concluded.
