Kamla on SRC Report: Obscene for Politicians to Give Themselves Salary Increases

Caption- Opposition Town Hall meeting in Barataria: Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, second left, with attorneys Devesh Maharaj, left, Jagdeo Singh, second right, and Saddam Hosein.

By Prior Beharry

IN her first response to the Salaries Review Commission 120th Report, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar says it’s obscene for politicians to approve salary increases for themselves.

She was speaking on Monday during an Opposition Town Hall Meeting in Barataria, she said, “There is something also obscene for politicians to have the power to decide on their own salary increases.”

Persad-Bissessar said she has been saying that politicians should not be given the increase at this time since the 116th SRC Report.

She said the SRC report has to come to the Parliament and the prime minister controlled the majority members.

Persad-Bissessar said she was waiting to see what the government does after it laid the 120^th SRC Report.

She said, “There is a lot of noise about it in the public domain because it gives the prime minister his highest-ever raise if he accepts it.

“This is the first time in the history of our country that the prime minister, if they accept that report, will be paid more than the president.”

She said, “Now is not the time when you offering people one percent and two percent and four percent, it is obscene. It is disrespectful at this time.”

She added, “However… the judges should be given an increase in the SRC report, the public servants should be given the increase in the SRC report. They are hardworking people and if this is what has been assessed…”

 In its 120th report, the SRC recommended raising the prime minister’s salary from the current $59,680, set in 2013, to $87,847 by October 2023. The report, presented to Parliament on November 15, also suggested increases for other key political and public service roles.