House passes bill to increase GG’s allowance

A bill has been passed in the House of Assembly to increase the housing allowance of the Governor General from $2,000 to $4,000 monthly.

While speaking in Parliament last Tuesday, Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves stated that the sum the Governor General had been receiving is “just not fair.”{{more}}

He noted, however, that the request for an increase was not made by the Governor General.

The Prime Minister pointed out that while the Governor General lives in his own house, if a house were to be rented to accommodate him, the cost would exceed $4,000 monthly.

Gonsalves also indicated that there are plans to reconstruct Government House, the official residence of the Governor General, which is now only used as an office and for some social functions.

Gonsalves noted that it is of great importance that such a bill is regulated by statute.

“We are in strained economic circumstances, as you know…and we all have to try to cut our cloth to suit our size and that is why in balancing everything, this is where we are at…the importance of having the Governor General’s salary, emoluments and pension regulated precisely by statute is a matter of importance, so that the general public would know what are the conditions under which he is serving.”

The present Governor General is retired medical doctor Sir Frederick Ballantyne. (CM)