The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has asked the government to grant public servants, teachers, members of the Disciplined Services and government pensioners an increase of at least 25 per cent, retroactive to January 1, 2026.
In a November 5 letter to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, PNCR General Secretary Sherwin Benjamin estimated that a 25 per cent increase would add $63 billion to the annual public-sector wage bill, taking it from $252 billion at the end of 2025 to $315 billion. The party reiterated the demand at Friday’s APNU/PNCR press conference.
Benjamin acknowledged that the increase would be a recurring expense. He argued that the government could afford it given its growing oil revenues, putting the estimated cost at about four per cent of the $1.558 trillion 2026 national budget and 12.7 per cent of the amount the government could withdraw from the Natural Resource Fund this year.
The party said a 25 per cent increase would raise the public-sector minimum wage from $102,346 to about $127,900 a month. That would still fall short of the roughly $215,000 monthly living wage estimated by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), according to the letter.
Benjamin said public servants received cumulative increases of 46 per cent between 2021 and 2025, but argued that wages had lagged behind growth in national income. He cited figures showing that consumer prices in Georgetown rose 3.4 per cent in the 12 months to April 2026, with food prices up 5.6 per cent. He also said Budget 2026 announced no new across-the-board increase for public servants.
At yesterday’s briefing, party representatives said workers earning at or just above the minimum wage were among those hardest hit by rising prices. They also alleged that some contract hires were being paid substantially more than qualified workers in established posts.
The PNCR separately asked the government to raise the public-sector minimum wage in line with a defined living-wage benchmark, open collective bargaining with the GPSU and other public-sector unions on a published timetable, and introduce an annual pay review linked to inflation and oil revenue. Benjamin requested an early written response from Singh.
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