The ‘Prime Minister Hamilton Green Pension Bill’ was read in the National Assembly for the first time on Monday, November 22, 2016.
According to the bill, these provisions will become effective on December 01, 2016. As such, the pension that Green has been receiving since retirement shall be discontinued with effect from November 30, 2016.
During a Press Conference on Monday, Green who served as Prime Minister from 1985 to 1992 said he does not see why he should have to depend on his wife and children to survive after serving as a senior public servant.
“I don’t think I should be relying, to maintain a certain level of life on my children and my wife which I have been doing for the past years,” the Former Prime Minister and current Chairman of the board of directors of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) told reporters at his home on Monday.
Just hours before a bill was presented in the National Assembly in his name, the Former Prime Minister sought to justify why he deserves to be given a pension after serving in that capacity for 7 years.
“From what I’ve heard, there seems to be some misconception and lack of information and I thought I should put it in its correct perspective. First of all, in every civilized country that I know, there are provisions made for pension and special benefits for former President and Prime Minister, however, styled. This is a universal application and there is nothing unique about it” Green said.
Green said while the bill might be in his name, it caters for the current Prime Minister and future individuals who will occupy that office.
He even agrees that the bill should have omitted his name; a view expressed by Prime Minister, Moses Nagamootoo last Friday.
Both the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and Transparency International Guyana Inc. (TIGI) have publically condemned the move by the present administration describing the bill as “vulgar” and “politically partisan” and wants it withdrawn since it expresses cronyism.
In response to the organizations, Green said, “these gentlemen or ladies, whoever they are, obviously are versed in fermenting strife, distorting history and…this kind of statement is mere propaganda being regurgitated.”
“They have speculated on matters they don’t know about, let them bring the evidence” he added.
According to Green, his concern about no proper provisions for Former Prime Ministers like himself was brought to the attention of the Peoples Progressive Party’s (PPP) administration.
The bill once debated and passed will make provision for a pension, benefits and other facilities to Hamilton Green who would have served as Prime Minister from 1985 to 1992, to enable him to live in keeping with the high office he occupied.
