Duty-free concessions approved for 300 educators

Cabinet has granted its consent to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) for the issuance of duty-free concessions to 300 eligible teachers and administrators across Guyana.

The concessions are being granted in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education in 2018 and covers the years 2016-2018.

According to Director-General at the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon, the concessions covered vehicles up to 1800CC, boats with engines up to 75Hp and ATVs.

Those to benefit are head-teachers, deputy principals at all Grade A and B Schools, Senior lecturers and Heads of Departments at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) who served in the position for six years.

All persons must be members of the GTU for no less than three years and have no less than three years remaining before retirement.

The Director-General revealed that one educator will benefit in Region One, 24 in Region Two, 58 in Region Three, 41 in Region Four, 18 in Region Five, 48 in Region Six, seven in Region Seven, two in Region Eight, three in Region Nine and 11 in Region Ten.

Additionally, there are 78 educators in Georgetown and nine from the various technical institutes who will benefit.

“In granting approval, Cabinet noted the need to create a favourable working condition for teachers…[and] continues to work with GTU to improve conditions of service,” Harmon stated.

The deal for the duty-free concessions was reached at the end of October last year as part of a larger agreement on wages and non-salary benefits. The agreement ended countrywide strike action by teachers.

The GTU had requested 200 duty-free concessions per annum, but that was countered with a proposal by government for 100 duty-free concessions per year for the years 2016-2018.