Moonilal: Government grabbing all it can on its way out

OROPOUCHE EAST MP Dr Roodal Moonilal told Newsday government MPs are about to demit office and so were using the recent Salaries Review Commission (SRC) report to feather their nests as they head into political retirement.

Moonilal said the Opposition has maintained its position on salary increases for parliamentarians.

"While we support the need for salary increases for public officers, members of the Judiciary and so on, it was and is our principled and policy position that such exorbitant increases ought not to be accepted by politicians, certainly not by the prime minister, President, Cabinet ministers, politicians and so on, given the dire economic circumstances the country faces."

He said the Government has offered the wider public service and public workers a  paltry" four per cent increase, which some have not accepted.

"In those circumstances, we find it vile and scandalous that the prime minister and his Cabinet can accept these recommendations for themselves."

He questioned Cabinet's accepting such a "luxurious increase," against the backdrop of economic collapse, joblessness and a failure to provide medicines at hospitals and fix schools for children.

"We believe this and the ensuing back pay are a naked attempt to seize extra resources on the eve of demitting office at the next general elections."

Moonilal envisaged a pending scenario.

"What has happened here is not a salary increase, because those people, for example the prime minister and his Cabinet, will have no job in a few months. What they are doing is ensuring they have a high and mighty pension! So this is really a grab for state pension."

He claimed a minister's pension would be based on his or her very last salary before leaving office.

"What they have done is stuck their hands into the cookie jar, to collect more cookies while on their way out the door."