By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Former Junior Finance Minister Bishop Juan Edghill is alleging that the new APNU+AFC government has failed to appropriately budget for the increases in old age pension and public assistance in the 2015 Budget presented by Finance Minister.
Edghill raised the issue in the National Assembly on Wednesday, August 26 where he pointed out that no significant increases to the allocation for old age pensions were made in the 2015 Budget.
iNews understands that in aggregated form, there was only an increase of $185M to the allocation for old age pensions from $7,895,554 in 2014 to $8,085,442 in the 2015 Budget.
Edghill explained that while there was an increase in the pension allocations in one line, this was not old age pension but rather the pension of government workers that was increased in conjunction with the increase of salaries for public servants.
Considering that there are 43,500 persons benefiting from old age pension in Guyana, Edghill told media operatives that “if you only have an increase in the total appropriation of $186M how will you find the money to fund the increase for the remainder of the year?…this must be either corrected or explained.”
He said that based on the figures, pensioners are not guaranteed the amount of money that they were promised in the 2015 Budget.
![Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence. [iNews' Photo]](https://i0.wp.com/www.inewsguyana.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Volda-Lawrence-.jpg)
Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence assured the House that the allocations were catered for by the Ministry of Finance at the estimated amount of beneficiaries. The government had proposed an old age pension increase from $13,125 to $17,000 in accordance with an elections plan.
The Budget currently being deliberated in the National Assembly would cater for a four month period. Independent calculations show that the Ministry would dole out $739.5M per month on old age pensions. For the four month period, the government would need $2,958,000,000 to properly fund the old age pension scheme.
The Budgeted amount of $8,085,442 was approved by the government controlled National Assembly.
drone are you a retard or are you just a blind idiot, the ppp had 23 years to fix Guyana and the robbed it blind, the Coalition has it for 100 days, so if you are that stupid you should refrain from commenting.
SK please leave the PPP baboo alone,poor thing he only blogging what he is told, just now the 1 free lapee top will stop working just like the ppp,
Juan Edghill.should never hold political office. Juan Edghill.discriminates against the gays & lesbians.
Let me remind those of you who are accepting what APNU IS SHOWING and pointing fingers at the PPP.THESE APNU party promise to do better but they are not. Don’t justify by saying. .well the PPP did this and that.
You got some nerve. The PPP was paying its advisers a lot more money for doing nothing. What sort of advice was Lubumba, or what ever his name is, giving to Donald the dunce cap. You are becoming more ridiculous by the day> I have lost all respect for you.
Well thank you Sir for shedding light on this matter. My point is still WHAT HAS THE ppp DONE FOR PENSIONERS FOR THE PAST YEARS?
Shameless Token! This is the same man when he was a minister had he wife, daughter and sweet-woman at ERC driving State SUV’s at taxpayers expense
How much was the P.P.P. Govt paying Dindyal the CEO of the electricity company. $30 million GYD per month if you do not know and how much were they paying for Gail Texeria cell phone bill, 1 Million GYD per month if you do not know. Ask Edghill to explain those and more…
Edga boy is not a bishop he is a lickup,,,they did nothing but thief for 23 yrs now they want what they failed to do to happen overnight,Guyanese BLIND!!!
No Mr. Massiah you have it all wrong, What the “phony” as you are saying Bishop is saying that the calculation for the amount budget for, for the Pensioner cannot meet the amount to payment the Pensioners. do your little maths sir.
But the govt is paying 4 advisors $500,000 each, plus house, car, maid, travel, electricity, water, phone, clothes, driver etc. almost $1,000,000 per month each for 4 advisors to the president.
Ridiculous!
Something is wrong somewhere, if the total amount to be paid to the pensioners for four months is $2,958,000,000 and the amount budgeted for is $ 8,085,442 something is definietly wrong.
Is there any shame in these ppp people. Why did they not raise pensions during their 23 years. But now they will have the nerve to ask the government about increased allocations for pensions. This phony bishop should just cover his face and sit down please.