Cabinet has had some unconventional decisions in the last two years and the latest is set to be announced by Public Affairs minister Muruli Mukasa after the big shots sat for two full days deliberating on the approval pay raise for all public servants though when the the new wages will come to life remains apprehensive, TheUgandan can confirm.
According to a cabinet source, President Yoweri Museveni and his cabinet after a day-long meeting at State House Entebbe on Saturday decided the pay raise will come in three phases and ‘most likely in the 2018/19 Financial Year’ but government is worried the country could face a repeat of the several strikes that have paralysed service delivery, particularly in the health sector and the judiciary.
Uganda’s public service now has 313,516 employees and the total wage bill stands at Shs3.36 trillion.
While scientists with science-based jobs have been included on the first list of essential cadres to be cleared in the first phase of 2018/19, their counterparts who teach science in primary schools will have to wait for the third category of public servants who will be catered for during the 2020/2021 financial year.
After the judicial officers and state attorneys have been handled in starting next financial year as top priority picks, Mr. Museveni’s government will then work on improving salaries of security officers at lower ranks, traditional civil servants, sub county chairmen and district leaders in category two.
The biting economy could however force government to merge some agencies or departments and downsize the workforce for non-strategic sectors, in order to raise funds for salary enhancement as has been recommended by the Internal SecUrity Organisation (ISO) report on expenditures that exposed wasteful spending that is costing the taxpayer billions of shillings.
State Minister of Finance David Bahati said that there’s a lot of distortions in public service pay, with drivers in some agencies earning more than permanent secretaries, saying that the trend is unsustainable.
Mr Bahati says that the salary disparities bring unnecessary quarrels, adding that instead of being piece-meal they want a comprehensive review to generate, as a clear salary structure. He said the new salary structure will address issues like inflation, rising cost of living, qualifications and experience, which will feed into the gross and take home salary.
What who will earn in coming pay raise
It’s proposed by the much-touted government salary review committee that a medical assistant who has been earning Shs. 1,170,000 will now take Shs. 2,250,000.
A medical consultant currently paid Shs. 2,600,000 will now be paid Shs. 12 million.
A senior Consultant currently earning Shs. 3,440,000, had their salary raised to Shs. 14.6 million.
The Director-General of Health services who was earning a meager Shs. 4,600,000 will now be paid Shs. 15.5 million.
The report indicated that a primary teacher who has been earning Shs. 430,000 will now be paid Shs. 860,000.
The committee also proposes enhanced salaries for state attorney’s and prosecutors who also laid down their tools.A senior state prosecutor who has been earning Shs. 860,000 will now be paid Shs. 2.8 million.A principal state attorney was being paid Shs. 1,250,000 will be paid Shs. 4,150,000.A senior principal state prosecutor was earning Shs. 1.5 million will now earn Shs. 5.2 million. A state attorney was getting Shs. 1,250,000 will now get Shs. 4,150,000.A senior state attorney who was earning Shs. 1,500,000 will now earn Shs. 5,200,000.A principal state attorney who was getting Shs. 2,100,000 will get Shs. 6,900,000.Senior principal state attorney moves from Shs. 2,400,000 to Shs. 8,000,000 while Chief State attorney who was getting Shs. 2,800,000 will now get Shs. 9,400,000.
In the Judiciary, a magistrate grade two who was earning Shs. 730,000 will now be paid Shs. 1,300,000.Grade one magistrate was earning Shs. 1,250,000, salary has been enhanced to Shs. 2,420,000.Chief Magistrate, Senior principal magistrate, Principal magistrate, and a senior magistrate who were earning Shs. 2,800,000 will have their salaries raised to Shs. 6,820,000.
The Chief Registrar of the Judiciary who was earning 4,800,000 will now earn 16,900,000 million shillings. And the Register who now earns 4,200,000 will new paid 12,300,000 million shillings and assistant registrar moves from 3,100,000 to 8,300,000 shillings.
