Significant Progress Being Made to Implement Restructured Public-Sector Salaries – Finance Minister

Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke, has informed that significant progress is being made towards implementation of the restructured public-sector compensation package.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on November 8, when he tabled the First Supplementary Estimates for the 2022/23 fiscal year, Dr. Clarke said the Ministry is having simultaneous consultations with the various public-sector unions.

“We have made significant progress, and I am quite hopeful that before long we will be able to be processing the payments that would be due from April 1,” he added.

The Minister emphasised that it is imperative that “we conclude in sufficient time [so that] the payments that are due for 2022 are made in the fiscal year 2022/23”.

“The Government has been very accommodating in terms of the timeline, but there is a natural limit, because we are making these changes effective April 1, 2022 [and] by the end of this month, eight months of 2022 would have gone. By January, 10 months would have gone, and 10 months of back pay is a large amount that is being budgeted for this fiscal year,” Dr. Clarke said.

Dr. Clarke pointed out that if is not paid in this fiscal year, the space to accommodate it in the next fiscal year does not exist.

“So, it is very important that everyone is aware that if we want to have the back pay [within this year] we need to conclude in sufficient time that we can pay this year,” the Minister said.

The exercise, being spearheaded by the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service, is intended to overhaul the system of salaries and emoluments in the public service to make it more equitable.

The compensation structure currently comprises 325 salary scales and 185 allowances.