Gov’t approves councillors’ 6% salary increase

Gaborone City Council meeting in progress PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO
Gaborone City Council meeting in progress PIC: MORERI SEJAKGOMO

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) Kgotla Autlwetse has told mayors and chairpersons at their forum on Wednesday that the government has approved a six percent adjustment of salaries effective April 1, 2021.

This came after the councillors put pressure on the government to increase their salaries and vowed to de-campaign Members of Parliament (MPs) in their areas for failure to approve their salary hike. Autlwetse said the adjustment was approved against the backdrop of a constrained fiscal space within which government operates. “It was therefore, not possible to adjust other allowances because part of the Ministry’s budget had to be channelled towards maintenance and construction of additional toilet facilities in our primary schools as part of governments’ response to protect children from COVID-19 pandemic. We must apologise to you, to have taken long to approve your increment.

This was due to financial constraints that we had found ourselves in. As leaders, we must be able to understand when the government has financial difficulties. Therefore, first priorities must always be the people that we represent,” Autlwetse said. Contrary to people’s assumptions, the minister said the MPs did not get an increase instead they had opted that government should not provide them with transport instead it should be replaced with an allowance. He said the government then approved the suggestion as they saved a lot since they were spending a lot in terms of overtime allowance for MPs drivers and government awarded MPs only P3,900 as transport allowance.

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