“We believe that to have an efficient government, there must be an effective public service and there’s no point in keeping the public service merely surviving. It’s like they are on life support: they are not getting any better but they’re not getting any worse.”Convinced that a ‘substantial portion’ of government revenue has been systematically diverted fromAPNU+AFC Presidential Candidate David Grangerthe consolidated fund, the APNU+AFC coalition plans on increasing wages for public servants by redirecting these monies. This is according to Presidential Candidate for the Coalition David Granger who further emphasized, that an efficient government could only be achieved if there is an effective public service.Granger made the assertions during a broadcast of the radio programme Hard Talk which was aired on Sunday afternoon.During his interview, Granger opined that huge sums of money had been kept out of the consolidated fund and was instead being paid into funds that are not directly under control of the National Assembly. Granger went on to specifically call out the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) and the Lotto Fund and said, “These funds run into billions and the funds are so lucrative that the government could have embarked on the construction of a multi-billion dollar hotel with funds which are really state funds; they’re public funds.”He further said that the coalition, if voted into power, intends to divert these funds from “non-legal sources” back into the consolidated fund. Hence, Granger said,NFL Jerseys China Cheap, public servants will be better paid.Granger maintained that the coalition “knows funds are being diverted” though they would best be able to say how much when they get into power.The coalition had previously received criticisms from the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for making plans to spend revenue rather than plans to garner it. Questions had also been raised on how the coalition intended to increase wages without fully knowing whether funds were available.“Indicators are that maybe as much as 20% of the budget is being diverted into these funds that are not under control of the National Assembly,” Granger said. He continued, “In addition to that, a more efficient public service would lead to more efficient revenue collection, the enforcement of fines by the police and courts and will lead to generally greater efficiency. When we have a lot of money being siphoned off, it means money is not being paid into the consolidated fund.”He emphasised that once systems are put in place to effectively collect revenue, the country would be better administered.He added that the coalition must wait and see how much money there is and how programmes are being administered when it gets into power.“We cannot go into office without a plan; we have a plan…but the point I’m making is that, precisely we won’t know the condition of the treasury, the condition of administration, the condition of revenue and tax collection until we go into office.”Nonetheless, Granger maintained that wage increases will still be high on the coalition’s agenda.He further explained that the plan for salary will be the implementation of a mechanism by which unions consult with employers.“We are not going to intervene between the unions and the employers. If there is a Guyana Public Service Union, that union will deal with the government,” Granger said. He went on,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, “Given the present cost of living and the present problems facing the public servants,Cheap NHL Jerseys China, there will be a minimum of 10%. But we have not set the ceiling and I’m sure that the GPSU is not going to be satisfied with 10%; Ten percent must be regarded as relief but I am sure when we sit down with the public services unions…there will be more precise negotiations, but we support the right of the workers organisations to negotiate on a collective bargaining agreements with their employers, and right now that’s the government.”Granger further opined that the current administration has been treating public servants with contempt.“The present administration has treated the public service generally in a very contemptuous manner; they wait until Christmas time and someone comes around and gives them 3 or 4 or 5% but by that time,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the cost of living has risen by 3 or 4 or 5%. The public aren’t foolish people; they realize they are being kept at the same level as they were in the previous years and it’s also contemptuous to not sit with the representatives and discuss salary increases and the condition of work.”He further said, “We believe that to have an efficie