Salary adjustments for teachers: Over $700M to be paid this month

Following the approval of salary adjustments for teachers paid below the minimum of their applicable scale, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday announced that more than $700M will be paid out to those teachers.

“I had committed to ensure that the issue of anomaly that existed in the minimum wage applicable for different teachers in the system be corrected, retroactively from September 1, 2020 when the responsibility was given to me as President,” President Ali said.

“This correction would require an investment of $700M and I am committing to you that this will be, this $700-plus million, will be incorporated in the salaries of those teachers in October.”

The President made this disclosure on Monday during a meeting held with head teachers and their deputies at State House, Georgetown.

Among the issues raised by the teachers were salary increases.

In a notice dated September 12, 2023, the Ministry of Education had said that a one-off arrears payment will be made for eligible teachers for the period September 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023.

The circular from the Finance Ministry noted that the Accountant General’s Department will generate the listing of eligible employees for salary adjustments and forward same to the respective agencies by close of business on October 4th, 2023.

The agencies, it said will be required to confirm the eligibility of employees for the salary adjustment and return the verified list to the Ministry of Finance by close of business on October 9, 2023.