“It is sad that the lawmakers are entertaining increase in salaries of top officials of the government at the time when our people are struggling to meet the rising cost of living,” the president said.
Earlier the Olbiil Era Kelulau approved on third and final reading the proposed measure containing four bills.Senate Bill No. 7-281, SD1, HD2 includes four bills such as the proposed amendments to the Uniform Compensation Act in compliance to the constitutional provision which sets a uniform compensation for lawmakers.The bill also contains proposed amendment to the provision with respect to the base salary of the President, Vice President, Ministers and doctors.The House of Delegates agreed to the Senate version of the bill which raised the salary of the president to $100,000 a year while the vice president will get $70,000 from the current $45,000 and ministers will be paid up to $45,000 from the $30,000.Remengesau said although the salaries of the top government officials maybe “inadequate “, there is no identified source of revenues to warrant the increase.The president said the lawmakers move to increases contradicts its own policy.H e said for eight years the lawmakers have refused to take action to proposed measure to increase salaries of officials.“Too much, too fast, too soon,” that is how Remengesau described the proposed measure.The bill also included the establishment of the Palau Casino Gaming Control Commission to supervise controlled gaming in the Republic of Palau is part of the bill.Under the provision, casino operation will be allowed in Palau and to modernize the admiralty and maritime code and to create a new Chapter 6 to 15, regarding an Open Ship Registry State in the Republic of Palau, and to amend various other provisions of law relating to vessels, and for other related purposes is also part of the bill.
