An Increase in Taxes Looming to Meet Teachers’ Salary Demands?

The Briceño administration says it simply can’t afford to give teachers an 8.5% salary increase all at once, especially not while also restoring two frozen pay raises. And today, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight made that message even clearer. He explained that the government is already struggling to manage its current budget and added that he hopes they won’t be forced to raise taxes to make ends meet.

 

Paul Lopez

“Talk a bit if you would about the request from the teachers and how you have been able to crunch those figure. The amount it would cost government to increase their. Is it alarming the figure, given how the wage bill has ballooned?”

 

Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary

“And it continues. Every point increase is seven million dollars for one percentage point. Do the math.”

 

Paul Lopez

“So, you all crunching those numbers.”

 

Joseph Waight

“We do it everyday to determine how much it would cost. But the bigger question is how will you pay for it?”

 

Paul Lopez

“So the Briceño administration is saying we cant afford it at this time, is that what you are also seeing.”

 

Joseph Waight

“We can barely afford what we are doing right now. But we have to look at it see where things can come. Hopefully we don’t have to raise taxes, but you never know.”