Local govt auditors demand scarce skills allowance

LEKOPANYE MOOKETSI
Correspondent | Thursday August 12, 2010 00:00

One of the auditors said they are being discriminated against as their counterparts working for central government are being paid the scarce skills allowance.

This is despite the fact that they all fall under one employer, the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM), following the amendment of the Public Service Act. 

In response the acting permanent secretary (Corporate Services) in the Ministry of Local Government, Peter Mongwaketse said he was not aware of a circular which directed that council auditors be paid a scarce allowance. 

He said the only directive he is aware of refers to auditors working for the Auditor General. 

Mongwaketse said following the issuance of this directive, they wrote to DPSM requesting that local government auditors also be considered. 

He said this is because the council auditors hold the same qualifications and are doing a similar job as those working for central government.  He added that they are still waiting for a response from the DPSM.

Mongwaketse said there are a number of cadres in the councils who are earning a scarce skills allowance. 

However he said in the past, DPSM has rejected some of their requests to pay scarce skills allowance to certain officers.

However, a council auditor said the directive did not specify that the scarce skills allowance be paid to central government auditors only.  He claimed that it stated that auditors with degree qualifications should be paid the scarce skills allowance. 

It further stated that auditors with diploma qualifications will not be entitled to the allowance.  An official at the Local Government Auditors Committee, said they have written a letter to the Ministry of Local Government to raise their concerns over this issue. Meanwhile the DPSM director, Festinah Bakwena was not available to comment on the issue.

The introduction of the scarce skills allowance has been a burning issue in the public service. There are some cadres who feel that they have been left out even though they deserve the allowance.

The scarce skills allowance was introduced in the public service following the recommendations of a Salaries Review Commission.  The introduction of the allowance was meant to induce and retain specialised personnel.

Government has in the past lost specialised personnel to the private sector which offered better packages.