Kamla: Rowley deserves pay cut

ACCUSING him of being out of touch with the reality of the majority of average citizens, an incensed Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar said rather than accepting a salary increase, the Prime Minister actually deserves a pay cut.

Her scathing remarks were contained in a press release sent to media on November 28, about an hour after Dr Rowley announced at the post-Cabinet press briefing that he was accepting the Salaries Review Commission’s (SRC) recommendation of an increase for him and numerous other key people in public life.

Persad-Bissessar said the PM was “a lazy, greedy, old man” who deserved a pay cut and not a salary increase, which she accused him of “publicly lobbying” for.

The SRC’s recommendations proposed the prime minister’s salary of $59,000 be increased to $87,000 a month plus allowances.

In justifying his decision as head of government, Rowley said his ministers deserved a pay hike, as they did good and even excellent work running the country and overseeing its $60 billion economy.

Persad-Bissessar, in her statement, dubbed Rowley’s remarks  “a master-class in shamelessness and arrogant greed.”

Saying he wanted his money now, Persad-Bissessar charged, “This is characteristic of his selfish and negligent behaviour – disconnected from citizens’ struggles and focused on self-preservation.”

She said she had predicted Rowley would accept the SRC Report, to increase his salary.

She said that at his press conference, Rowley ignored out-of-control violent crimes and murders, the high cost of living, poor healthcare, lack of forex, job losses and increased utility rates and taxes, but shamelessly found time to give a lengthy discourse to justify accepting a $28,000 pay increase.

“He justified his move by effectively saying his government, filled with incompetent members, deserves a pay rise.”

Persad-Bissessar said, “I stated my position from the beginning: do not increase my salary, but pay the judicial officers and public servants.”

She said a few months ago, Finance Minister Colm Imbert, in a sworn affidavit, cried about the economic doom and gloom of the nation – which she blamed on the Government, which has been in power for ten years.

The Siparia MP said Rowley was the very one who told the nation that all economic burdens must be shared, and that people should prepare for difficult times ahead, in fact declaring that citizens must “tighten their belts.”

“Citizens are riled up because this government can’t account for three billion missing taxpayer dollars, hired a cult in the SSA, who they then claimed wanted to commit a coup, presided over almost 5,000 murders and 5,000 covid deaths, lost over 50,000 jobs, shrunk the economy by $30 billion, recused themselves during Cabinet meetings hundreds of times (and) paid his (the PM's) golf partner $9 million for the Paria inquiry.

“This is the only prime minister in our history with no achievement in his name, yet he is publicly lobbying to justify his acceptance of a raise in pay for himself.”

She said the PM was “wholly tone-deaf and ignorant” of the pulse and pain of the population, which is fed up, angry, and frustrated, living in a country besieged by crime and whose social fabric is deteriorating.

Referring to his willingness to bear the cross of his decision (to accept a salary increase) without fear of retribution, Persad-Bissessar declared: “There will be retribution when the general election bell is rung and a caring United National Congress returns to government to restore law, order and prosperity, where citizens are the priority.”