By: Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Aubrey Norton, is insisting that Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil and gas industry justifies a minimum livable wage increase of 35 percent or more for public sector workers, arguing that the current administration is deliberately keeping citizens financially dependent.
According to Norton, the scale of revenue generated from the petroleum sector makes a substantial salary adjustment not only possible but also necessary to improve the standard of living for Guyanese workers.
He noted that government projections show total oil revenues are expected to reach $1.024 trillion in 2025, representing a 30.5 percent increase from the $784.6 billion earned in 2024. Despite this growth, Norton pointed out that public servants are set to receive only an 8% wage increase.
Norton contended that this disparity reflects a deliberate policy choice by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.
He recalled that while serving as Opposition Leader in the previous Parliament, the APNU proposed a minimum wage increase of 25 to 35 percent, which he said the government consistently ignored.
The PNCR leader argued that the administration continues to prioritise large-scale infrastructure projects while neglecting human development, particularly the welfare of public servants. He believes this approach entrenches economic dependence rather than empowering citizens to benefit meaningfully from the country’s newfound wealth.
Beyond wages, Norton raised concerns about transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector. He renewed calls for the government to release the long-awaited ExxonMobil audit report, which examined more than US$19.6 billion in oil-related expenditures that Guyana is required to account for.
Norton said the absence of public disclosure suggests a lack of genuine commitment to oversight. He added that his party has repeatedly advocated building local auditing capacity to ensure proper scrutiny of oil-sector spending, but no tangible action has been taken.
According to Norton, the government’s reluctance to publish audit findings and strengthen oversight mechanisms signals an unwillingness to hold the oil and gas sector accountable.
