The Salaries Review Commission (SRC) has recommended that the prime minister’s salary be increased by $28,167 over what it currently is.
It would move the prime minister’s salary to $87,847 if approved.
The report was laid in Parliament today, also recommending increases for the President of the Republic, the Chief Justice, the Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly, the Opposition Leader, Members of Parliament, members of the Judiciary, the Police Commissioner, and other senior public servants.
The prime minister’s salary is currently $59,680 which was set in 2013 and would rise in two layers, increasing from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023 to $80,000, and then from October 1, 2023 onward to $87,847.
It means the prime minister would qualify for backpay amounting to $731,520 for the first three-year period ($20,320 x 36 months) and a further $366,171 ($28,167 x 13 months) from October 1, 2023 to now, a sum of $1,097,691 before taxes.
The duty allowance of $8,680, however, would be removed.
The President’s salary would increase from the current $64,270 to $73,920 in an initial three-year period from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023, and then increase further to $81,170 thereafter.
That would amount to back pay of $567,100.
The President is not required to pay taxes.
The SRC also recommended that the President’s duty allowance of $9,650 be removed.
The Chief Justice’s salary would go from the current $50,350 to $55,477 from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023 and then increase to $60,919 from then.
Over those same time periods, a Justice of Appeal’s salary would rise from the current $42,020 to $46,299 initially, and then to $50,840, and a Puisine Judge from the current $37,300 to $41,098 initially, and then to $45,130.
The Leader of the Opposition would get an increase from $29,590 to $47,500 from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023, and then to $52,159 from October 1, 2023.
That would qualify the Opposition Leader for total back pay of $938,157 before tax.
The Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly would get an increase from the current salary of $41,030 to $47,500 for the period October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2023, and then to $52,159 from October 1, 2023 onward.
That would amount to back pay of $377,597 before tax.
Cabinet ministers would get the same salary increases as the THA Chief Secretary.
Among the hundreds of other public servants included in the SRC report, the Commissioner of Police would get a salary increase from the current $31,080 to $39,300 for the period April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023, and then to $43,155 from April 1, 2023 onward.
