Govt considers housing allowance for public servants
Onalenna Kelebeile | Friday December 5, 2014 14:11
Speaking at the just ended Botswana Public Employees Union’s convention in Palapye, Khama said the allowances would be for lower bands, currently finding it hard to make ends meet under the prevailing harsh economic situation.
The President said despite the recent economic downturn, the government did its best to save jobs and manage to effect increases that have now reached 20 percent and also recession allowance.
He added that the recession allowance is expected to stop now that the economy has improved. He noted that the housing and upkeep allowance would avert situations where workers would experience dilemmas once the recession allowance stops because they would have already been accustomed to that money.
The President further said that he has given the green light to the public servants to run their own businesses to supplement their salaries because government may not be able to meet all their financial demands.
He said this would also avert situations where public servants retire into poverty. “You will be able to have business ventures to also keep you busy after you retire,” he said.
Khama also noted that staff accommodation remains one of government’s priorities and added that there are 3,314 teachers quarters, 1,500 classrooms and 4,000 ablution blocks that need to be constructed around the country through a backlog eradication programme. “These projects needs P3.2 billion against a budget allocation of only P10 million this financial year,” he added.
He urged public servants to be mindful of the fact that Botswana is not a rich country that has not yet fully recovered from economic recession and that in the midst of this government has subsidised utilities.
Khama made known the fact that Japan has plunged back to recession while Germany missed recession and the South African economy is experiencing a decline.
He said despite the economic challenges government has to look after the destitute, orphans and other underprivileged members of the community.
Meanwhile the Union’s president Andrew Motsamai said that they are confident that the Botswana economy can afford a worthy and decent public service salary increase without much effect on other budget variables.
He said the rate of inflation has remained within the Bank of Botswana’s target inflation rate of three to six percent for some time now compared to peaks of about nine percent in 2011.
He said BoB has also reduced the bank interest rate to 7.5 percent in its attempt to stimulate economic recovery.
“We are informed that this rate is the lowest in a comparative period of 20 years. We believe the low inflation and low bank rates are sure pointers to sustainability,” said Motsamai.
The union boss added that public service employees are faced with challenges including government’s delay in implementing a long made decision on housing allowance, a 16-old promise.
Moreover, said Motsamai, the public service faces serious skills retention challenges.
“In our view scarce skills incentive is failing to attract and retain some critical and specialised skills in the public service and government facilities are replete with serious delivery challenges,” he added.
The president also said the disparities created by some government decisions such as the application of Levels of Operation for Ministry of Education and Skills Development was done to the disadvantage of the non-teaching staff.