Dear Editor,
The recent engagement held on June 2, 2026, between the Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation and representatives of the Guyana Public Service Union is a welcomed development. Dialogue is necessary. Consultation is important. Engagement between government and workers must never be viewed as an inconvenience but as a responsibility.
However, while much attention appears to have been given to efficiency, modernization, digital transformation and reform of the public service, there remains a glaring omission that cannot be ignored. The most important issue affecting public servants today is not efficiency, it is not digitization, neither is it administrative restructuring, it is wages and salaries.
For teachers, nurses, government employees and thousands of other public servants, the issue is simple, they are asking whether their earnings can adequately support their families in an environment where the cost of living continues to rise. They are asking whether their salaries reflect the sacrifices they make every day to keep government and government systems functioning. They are asking whether their commitment to service is being matched by a commitment from the State to improve their standard of living. These are the bread and butter issues confronting public servants.
This comes at a time when international assessments continue to indicate that 38% of Guyanese live abject poverty, government cannot place efficiency over livelihood. A public servant who is worried about rent, transportation, utility bills, food prices and school expenses cannot be expected to deliver peak performance while carrying the weight of economic uncertainty on their shoulders.
The reality is that efficiency is not created by policy papers alone. Efficiency is produced by motivated workers. Efficiency is sustained by fair compensation. Efficiency grows when workers feel valued and respected.
The Government’s 2026 Budget offered little comfort to public servants seeking clarity on their future earnings and incentives. Months into the year and that uncertainty still remains. Public servants are yet to receive a clear indication of the government’s long-term vision for improving their wages, salaries and benefits. Workers deserve certainty. They deserve transparency. They deserve a roadmap that demonstrates how their lives will improve as Guyana continues to experience unprecedented economic growth.
The APNU has long recognized that strengthening the public service requires more than speeches about productivity as our “Putting People First Manifesto” clearly outlines. It requires practical incentives that improve the quality of life of workers. Public servants must be supported through access to affordable housing opportunities. They must have easier access to financing through partnerships with financial institutions. They should benefit from concessions that assist with transportation, mobility and other essential needs. Such measures do not merely reward workers. They strengthen the capacity of the State by attracting and retaining talent.
Training and professional development are also important, but training must be purposeful. It must respond directly to the operational needs of the public service. Workers should not be enrolled in programmes simply because programmes exist. Training must be aligned with the skills required to improve service delivery, strengthen institutional performance and advance career development.
Equally important is the growing concern among public servants regarding the Goal programmes and educational initiatives being promoted through government channels. Questions have emerged regarding accreditation, recognition, relevance and long-term value. These concerns deserve serious attention. Currently, we have public servants who are denied promotion and incremental increases on their salaries because their qualifications acquired through the Goal programme are not being recognized by their employer. Public servants who have invested years pursuing diplomas, degrees, postgraduate qualifications and master’s programmes should never be placed in a position where uncertainty surrounds the value of their academic achievements. Such uncertainty can discourage participation and weaken confidence in future training initiatives.
Professional development should inspire workers. It should create opportunity. It should reward ambition. It should never create confusion.
Beyond wages lies another reality. Government cannot demand efficiency while failing to provide the resources necessary for efficiency to be achieved. As public services become increasingly digitized, workers must be equipped with reliable technology, functioning systems, adequate connectivity, proper workspaces and the tools required to perform their duties effectively. Expectations must be matched by investment.
A public servant cannot be expected to deliver twenty first century performance with twentieth century resources.
The path to a stronger public service begins with people. Before efficiency comes dignity. Before performance targets come fair compensation. Before technological reform comes investment in the men and women who carry the responsibility of serving the nation every day.
Guyana’s public servants deserve more than promises of reform. They deserve a government that understands that the foundation of an efficient public service is a respected, properly compensated, properly trained and properly equipped workforce.
That is the conversation that must now take center stage.