Georgetown: Contrary to what he preached when he was in Opposition, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo is ensuring that for the next five years he will be enjoying quite a sybaritic lifestyle. A $22 million customised luxury Land Cruiser being added to his existing fleet of 22 vehicles will be just the tip of an iceberg of extravagant expenditures in his personal life.
Millions of taxpayers’ dollars have been pumped into improving the lifestyle of the Honourable Prime Minister who has been in Executive Office for only some four months.
Thus far, Nagamootoo has cashed in on hefty amounts for the repairs to the bridge and road to his private residence, repairs to the official Prime Minister’s residence and the Office of the Prime Minister.
And now in the 2015 Budget, more millions have been allocated for the Prime Minister, who is on record criticising the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government over its alleged mismanagement of public funds and waste in office.
Nagamootoo, like other Government officials, is also in the line-up to receive a whopping salary increase in the near future. His current salary is already going to cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year.
Meanwhile, the ostentatious purchase of the $22 million luxury vehicle definitely took the nation by utter surprise. But what is even more shocking is the excuse given by the Prime Minister following earlier denials that Land Cruisers were being purchased for Government Ministers. In seeking to justify this purchase, Nagamootoo simply stated that the luxury vehicle will help him “reach out to those who voted for the Prime Minister”.
The Toyota website revealed that the 2015 Land Cruiser which is being purportedly purchased is a four-zone automatic with front and rear climate control with air filter, dust and pollen filtration mode, push-button controls, separate second-row control panel, individual temperature settings for driver, front passenger and rear-seat passengers, and second- and third-row vents; and leather-trimmed seats.
Other features include premium HDD navigation; eight-inch high-resolution touch-screen with split-screen capability and integrated backup camera; AM/FM CD player with MP3/WMA playback capability; 14 speakers including subwoofers; HD Radio with iTunes11; USB port with iPod connectivity and control, vehicle information; hands-free phone capability, phone book access, advanced voice recognition14; music streaming via Bluetooth and wireless technology.
Moreover, in the Budget Estimates 2015, an additional $10 million is set aside for the rehabilitation of the Office of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister’s Official Residence. Some of this money will go towards constructing several secondary buildings at the Prime Minister’s residence, while the remaining will be distributed for the refurbishing of cubicles, security barracks, storage houses, waiting area and the roof.
An additional $10 million is set aside for the purchase of furniture and equipment, while another $4 million is allocated for the refurbishing of furniture and equipment, Nagamootoo stated, contending that the buildings he inherited were in a deplorable state.
Also, some $10 million was budgeted under the Office of the Prime Minister for “minor works”, which Nagamootoo said will be distributed to assist in various projects undertaken by the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU); the Salvation Army and the Diocese of Guyana, among others.
Additionally, a whopping $15.7 million is set aside for “other expenses”.
Meanwhile, it was Nagamootoo who best demonstrated the then Opposition’s condemnation for corruption and those desirous of leading a “Cadillac lifestyle in a donkey-cart economy” with the use of public funds.
So great was his scorn for “squandermania” and concern for the poor and ordinary citizens that back in 2012 while supporting a motion to axe portions of the National Budget, Nagamootoo introduced the term “fat cats” in the National Assembly which he used to describe those public employees, contract workers and political appointees benefiting from super salaries that were “bleeding” the treasury.
In light of this all, it was Nagamootoo who proposed an increase in salary for all A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government Ministers.
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