Copies of a circular to this effect were released to Permanent Secretaries yesterday by the Head of the Public Service and Permanent Secretary within the Public Service Ministry, Dr. N.K. Gopual.

According to the circular, the increases were calculated on the figures obtained at December 31, 2002.

Dr. Gopaul noted that the increase is applicable to all public servants, defined to mean those employed in Ministries, Departments not under ministerial control, and Regional Administrations.

Workers such as teachers, disciplined service members and workers employed on projects will be issued separate instructions by their respective policy agencies, Dr. Gopaul said.

Agency heads not within the traditional public service (example, National Agricultural and Research Institution, the Guyana School of Agriculture, National Library, etc) should approach the Secretary to the Treasury in connection with increases for their workers for the year 2003.

For those employees who fall below the minimum of the adjusted scales, their salaries should be adjusted to the level of the new minimum.

The increase is not applicable to those employees who were dismissed at any time during the year 2003, prior to the issuance of this circular.

Government has also approved an increase of five per cent in salaries and wages to those persons contracted against positions that are not reflected on the inventory of authorized positions of the traditional public service. But this increase is applicable only to those employees who have been employed as at December 31, 2002.

The expenditure for the salary increases will be met from allocations provided for under the approved national estimates in the 2003 Budget.