By Fareeza Haniff
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman has confirmed that the benefits enjoyed by former Presidents have indeed been reduced as a result of the passage of the Former Presidents (Benefits and Other Facilities) Bill 2015 in the National Assembly.
Trotman has put to rest speculations that the legislation cannot reduce the benefits enjoyed by former Presidents Bharrat Jagdeo, Sam Hinds and Donald Ramotar; however he made it clear that the APNU+AFC administration has no intention to recover monies already spent by the three former Presidents as a result of the previous legislation.
“We have no intention to reclaim, to recover or recoup anything that has passed, but going forward the Minister of Finance will be guided by the legislation that has been assented to by the President… we can’t go back to recover that which was already be spent, but there will be caps,” Minister Trotman told a post cabinet media briefing.
The amended legislation limits expenses incurred for utilities such as telephone, water and electricity to $25,000 each month. It also states that “services of personal and household staff, including a gardener, provided that the total number of such staff shall not exceed three persons, including any member of the staff who may be on earned vacation or sick leave.”
Further, the Former Presidents are subject to a financial limit of $200,000 per annum to cover medical expenses; however the reimbursement is only given if the said medical treatment is not available at local public health institutions.
Finance Minister Winston Jordan, who presented the Bill to the National Assembly stated that “we have a situation where a former President is enjoying a tax free pension equivalent to 7/8 of the salary of a sitting President.”
He noted too that the Former President of the USA is paid a taxable pension; while under the previous legislation, the pension was not taxable. He described the previous piece of legislation as “scandalous and vulgar,” as he made his presentation in the National Assembly. The three former Presidents currently enjoy a pension of $1.4 million but the legislation does not make any changes to this.
Sir,and i am referring to Joey you just proved to me and many more that you sir have the peanut brain.
Total vindictiveness..wicked set of losers!!
Joey do you mean like the three blind mice in the caption photo. The gravy train had left the platform. Its a new day.
this is crap, i must be in the wrong country, we are paying crimminals with tax dollars, these guys are gods, mr GRANGER, YOU NEED TO LOCK UP THESE PEOPLE UP WHY ARE YOU SO SILENT, MR DESMOND HOYTE,, OR MR FORBES BURNAM, OR MR CHEDIE JAGAN, WOULD NOT REMAIN SILENT , THEY SHOULD BE
IN PRISON, YOU STRAPPED YOURSELF TO A WING OF AN AIRPLANE, WITH A GPMG, AND SO TWARTED THE ATTACK OF THE DUTCH SOLDIERS, IN THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE, IN THE GDF, YOU FOUGHT FOR GUYANA, NOW THAT YOU ARE PRESIDENT, WHY ARE YOU SO SILENT. HAVE LOST LOST THE FIGHT IN YOU
Oh happy days, Guyana too poor to have those who should believe serving your country a privilege not a lottery ticket…. Parasites
All praise is due to the new APNU-AFC government!
Joey: you obvioiusly think that it’s okay for the former president to receive a tax free pension equivalent to 7/8 of the salary of a sitting President – you must be eating his shit.
It is a very happy day knowing that one loving former president coveted a massive pension package even though he has access to millions of dollars by virtue of government contracts to his best friend and other PPP associates, while the other living former president would be getting a pension package for doing nothing for Guyanese before occupying office and while in office. And now he is out of office, he continues to do nothing for Guyanese.
So, contrary to your tripe, Joey, the coalition regime has decided to be generous to two sponges whose value is the kitchen sink is lost.
It is indeed a very sad day in Guyana to know that we have a goverment that is filled with individuals in position that are so vindictive and malicious. If this is not retaliatory then I do not know what it is. It is a down right disgrace to have these “low life” classless individuals DICTATING change in legislation. I am confident that if any of the APNU / PNC former presidents were still alive there is no way you would have seen a change in this legislation. Face the facts APNU ministers – everything that the current adminstration is riding high on were all initiated by the PPP administration. I am a proud Guyanese but is ashamed to know that I have such peanut brain individuals making decesions that are so reckless and condesending. Mr. Granger – stand up and be the man and leader you claimed to be and check these nuckleheads that are embarassing you day in and day out. Be the “Peoples President” and not the the “Puppet President”.