Mark Golding to give away bulk of salary increase to worthy causes
Published:Friday | May 19, 2023 | 11:51 AM
Leader of the Opposition Mark Golding says he will redirect the bulk of his salary hike.
At a press conference this morning, Golding stated that he will retain 20 per cent of the increase and direct the remainder to needy causes.
His salary surged by 221 per cent, moving from a little over $8 million in 2021 to $25.7 million effective April 1, 2024.
As of April 1, 2023, Golding is being paid $22.7 million per year.
Meanwhile, other opposition members of parliament are discussing what position they will take on the issue.
Following Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke's announcement of the increases in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Julian Robinson, stated that "the Opposition took no issue with what the minister has announced."
The next day, the Opposition came out against the hike arguing that the Government has failed to address the lingering concerns of public servants while lavishly rewarding Cabinet ministers and members of parliament.
"It is morally indefensible to grant such a significant raise while so many of our dedicated public servants have seriously lost out and are utterly demoralised by the lack of equity in the recent salary restructuring," it argued in a statement on Wednesday.
It also stated that the decision on the pay increases was made without any consultation with the Opposition except to seek its non-objection to the decision after it was already made.
However, this was rejected by Robert Morgan, Minister without Portfolio with responsibility for Information in the Office of the Prime Minister, at a post-Cabinet press briefing on Wednesday.
"We know that a large number of Opposition MPs lobbied the Ministry of Finance for an increase, we know that as a fact. So when the press release says that they didn't have any discussion that is actually not true.”
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