The deputies of the tenth legislature cost Guatemala, in just two months of wages, Q19 million 958 thousand. That is according to the data that reflect the salary payrolls of the legislative body.
Of the 160 deputies, 151 receive a monthly salary of Q61 thousand 300, taking a base salary of Q46 thousand 700, which is included a series of economic bonds, which increases the monthly payment for each deputy.
Only in them, which do not occupy positions on the Board of Directors, the country spends Q9 million 256 thousand 300 to pay their monthly remuneration. But the nine deputies of the Directive receive another series of bonuses that make their fees older.
Each of the five secretaries of the Directive receives salaries from Q76 thousand 300, which together total Q381 thousand 500 in a month. The three vice presidents receive salaries for Q81 thousand 300, which represents Q243 thousand 900 per month.
But who earns more – around Q100 thousand per month – is deputy Nery Ramos, the president of Congress. Its monthly salary is Q97 thousand 300.
The monthly payroll for Congress, only in the salaries of the deputies, is Q9 million 979 thousand. To date, Q19 million 958 thousand of taxes have already been spent to pay two months of salary to deputies.
Even, despite being the best paid officials in the country, they decided not to meet for three months, this prior to the Easter holidays that the legislative body will enjoy.
The amount could be even greater, since other bonuses received by the deputies, which depend on the amount of work commissions that integrate.
Without political will
For the independent analyst, Alejandro Quinteros, the deputies of Congress do not have a real will to suspend their increase in salary. On the contrary, they seek that the issue is forgotten to continue enjoying the economic benefit, although their work is not of quality, according to the analyst.
On March 25, the president of Congress, Nery Ramos, and the first vice president, Jorge Castro, declared in a press conference that the salary increase was going to be suspended.
But after that statement, the Board of Directors received an opinion of the legal department of the Congress that explained that the decision of the increase could not be suspended by the directive, since the increase was approved by the Plenary of the Congress, which is the highest authority of the Legislative.
“They are pure and hard evasive that the Congress authorities have to try to soften the situation and look good saying that they will do their best to suspend the increase, but they do not have a political will to do so,” said Quinteros.
Even with two months already received and before a possible third salary with increase, Quinteros considers that the deputies are close to defending their salary increase more strongly.
“They could say that it is an acquired right, in addition that the Constitutional Court has already said that the process was well. They could even suspend a couple of months and then claim fallen salaries,” estimates the analyst.
For Renzo Rosal, an independent political analyst, the evasive of the plenary sessions seeks to make the issue forget the social imaginary, which would subtract obstacles to the deputies to continue receiving their salary.
“There is no one to control the deputies; they are moving away from citizens and show that they live in ease. The Board of Directors has already lost strength, mainly its president, Nery Ramos,” said the expert.