"It would be better to retain the current system whereby half of inflation is accommodated, and any additional increment is judged in view of other priorities and evidence of increases in productivity," reads a copy of the government White Paper on the 15 percent salary adjustment and review of allowances announced last week.
Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) director Molebeledi Oagile has indicated that the adjustment will be effected on April 1.
The salaries commission set up last year had recommended that government provide a 15 percent housing allowance for employees it cannot provide accommodation for. It was reasoned that government should provide institutional housing for officers whose duties require that they live close to their places of work. However, this recommendation has been set aside pending the outcome of the Draft Housing Policy from the Ministry of Lands and Housing. Government has also announced it has no intention of re-introducing car allowances following a recommendation for its re-introduction at 15 percent of the basic salary for the grades E2 and above as well as for Land Board Secretaries and Tribal Secretaries because of the nature of their duties. A recommendation for the Remote Areas Service Allowance (RASA) to be retained has also been rejected. A recommendation to change overtime allowance to overtime pay has also been turned down with government arguing that the justification is not convincing. Concern has been raised that project posts need to be phased out once a project has been completed. " The continued practice of converting project posts into permanent and pensionable posts can bulge the public service unnecessarily," it has been observed.
