Mmegi

Moment of truth for P35bn wage bill

To the streets: Public servants argue that they are underpaid and overworked. Government, meanwhile, says going forward, it has no choice but to either cut remuneration or reduce employment numbers PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE
To the streets: Public servants argue that they are underpaid and overworked. Government, meanwhile, says going forward, it has no choice but to either cut remuneration or reduce employment numbers PIC: KENNEDY RAMOKONE

Of the forecast spending of P97 billion for the upcoming financial year, just over P35 Billion will be used on personal emoluments and pensions, majority of which is for civil servants’ salaries. With the country stuck in one of its worst fiscal positions, it’s becoming clear that government has difficult decisions ahead. Mmegi Staff Writer, TIMOTHY LEWANIKA reports

For the 2022/2023 financial year, government expenditure stood at P74 Billion with the largest portion of this amount going civil servants’ salaries and associated expenses, a decades-old trend that has weakened the budgets back.

Government has been kicking the can of fixing the public wage bill issue down the road for many decades, mainly because of the cushion of diamond revenues and fattened reserves.

Editor's Comment
Our digital safety is in our hands

That sounds like good news. But the report also warns that this may simply be because our digital economy is still young, not because we are safe. As more people shop, bank and pay online, criminals will follow.We Batswana do not need a report to tell us that danger is real. Many of us have heard of or fallen victim to KYC scams. A caller impersonates your bank or mobile money provider. They say they need to “verify” your account. They ask...

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