GEORGETOWN – The A Partnership for National Unity says as Guyana’s oil revenues surge and senior government officials continue to earn multi-million-dollar salaries, it is warning that public servants are being left dangerously behind. The party is now calling for an urgent minimum 25 percent increase in wages and salaries for public sector workers, arguing that the widening gap between political elites and ordinary employees has become economically and morally unsustainable.
APNU says the current wage structure exposes a stark imbalance. Based on publicly reported figures from late 2024 and 2025, the President earns approximately G$34.8 million annually, or about G$2.9 million per month, while ministers and the Leader of the Opposition earn roughly G$21.6 million per year, inclusive of benefits. By contrast, the lowest-paid public servants are expected to earn about G$100,000 per month by the end of 2025, translating to G$1.2 million annually. In practical terms, a minister earns more in a single month than many public servants take home in an entire year, while the President’s monthly salary is nearly three times the annual income of a minimum-wage public employee.
The party argues that this disparity is becoming more painful as the cost of living rises and purchasing power erodes. While national wealth is expanding rapidly on the back of oil production, public servants across both the formal and informal sectors are struggling to keep pace with higher food prices, transportation costs, housing expenses, and utility bills. APNU contends that state employees are bearing the burden of national development without receiving a fair share of the benefits.
Guyana’s oil sector continues to expand at an extraordinary rate, with production levels increasing and additional projects coming on stream through the remainder of the decade. Government projections indicate that total revenues are expected to reach approximately G$1.024 trillion in 2025, representing a 30.5 percent increase over the G$784.6 billion reported in 2024. APNU notes that despite this sharp rise in revenue, public servants have been offered a wage increase of just eight percent, a figure the party describes as grossly inadequate given inflation and economic growth.
The opposition argues that citizens reasonably expect oil revenues to translate into tangible improvements in public sector compensation, especially as private oil companies continue to report substantial revenues linked to Guyana’s offshore operations. APNU maintains that equitable wage growth is not only a matter of fairness but also a necessary investment in national stability and service delivery.
In its 2025 manifesto, APNU had previously proposed a graduated 35 percent increase in public sector wages. Given current economic conditions, the party is now urging the government to commit to at least a 25 percent increase as an immediate corrective measure. According to APNU’s estimates, the public sector wage bill is projected to reach approximately G$227 billion by the end of 2025. A uniform 25 percent increase would raise that figure to about G$283.75 billion, an additional G$56.75 billion annually, which the party argues is well within the government’s fiscal capacity given projected revenues.
APNU says such an increase would help restore purchasing power for thousands of workers whose real incomes have declined, promote social fairness by ensuring oil wealth benefits those delivering essential public services, stimulate domestic economic activity through increased consumer spending, and improve staff retention at a time when the public sector is under pressure to manage expanded investments and regulatory responsibilities tied to the oil economy.
The party insists that the call for higher wages is not about excess spending, but about responsible redistribution at a moment when Guyana’s economic transformation risks leaving large segments of its workforce behind. As oil revenues grow and national expectations rise, APNU argues that public servants must not be asked to shoulder the weight of development while watching prosperity pass them by.
