The Parliament review shows that Members of Parliament spend over 23 hours or more a week on parliamentary work. Yet the salaries paid to this country’s MPs are among the lowest. US $27,800 a year. In Barbados MPs receive US $28,726 annually; in Jamaica—$25,588 annually; Cayman Islands—US$ 111,500 annually; UK—US $103,000 annually; Canada—US $157,731 annually; Singapore—US$192,500. Al-Rawi said the salaries paid to Trinidad and Tobago MPs were an aberration. “You have people running billions of dollars of ministries and you have a very disproportionate salary level in terms of the responsibility that is given to them,” he said. Al-Rawi said the increases should be accompanied by a reformed revenue authority with the capacity and integrity to be able to match people’s income with their lifestyle. “So I am not saying that you give parliamentarians money just so. I am sure they deserve it. All parliamentarians are hard-working, not only in the legislature, but in their constituency. If you want to attract people of quality you have to be paying properly,” he said. (Discuss)
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 18:41:33 +0000
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