GOVT: Salary review process on course

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Public Service says the formation of a body to review the salaries and remuneration of public service workers is ongoing, although still at the departmental level.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Catherine Bitarakwate, says that the process involves different public service bodies reviewing and updating the terms and conditions of their workers independently.

“All service commissions are mandated to develop and cause a review of the terms and conditions for the cadres under their jurisdiction,” the PS said, ahead of the Public Service Day due on June 23. The commissions include the Education Service Commission, the Judicial Service Commission, the Health Service Commission, the Police Authority and Prison Authority.

She says that after this all the reviews will be amalgamated into one document and the committee will act as a Special Purpose Vehicle to implement the new structure that is aimed at removing apparent unfairness and discomfort caused by the remuneration differences.

In January this year, Minister Wilson Muruli Mukasa said that a National Remuneration Review Board would be put in place starting next financial year and that its budget of 5.3 billion Shillings had already been made.

The idea of a review board has been on for about five years now and was mainly prompted by the huge differences between the salaries of mainstream public servants and those of people employed in statutory agencies. This also comes amidst complaints of persistent delays in an accumulation of salary and pension arrears.

PS Bitarakwate attributed the delays to the ongoing reforms in the public sector that are aimed at ridding the sector of financial leakages, prompt payments and generally improving the efficiency of the processes. She said for example, that before any arrears are paid out the application has to go through three departments for audit before finally being approved for payment.

The sector’s Chief Accounting Officer also advised the medical pre-interns to be patient instead of striking over delayed deployment. She said the student medics need to be catered for financially during the course of their internship, but that unfortunately, the government does not have the money for this. She urged both sides to be patient as the authorities look for money.

Last week, a group of five MPs; Muwada Nkunyingi, Timothy Batuwa, Patrick Nsamba, Gilbert Olanya and Nicholas Kamara threatened to join the pre-interns unless the government deployed them immediately.

The PS gave a similar response to those that have completed their studies but have not been deployed.

She said the government cannot declare positions vacant when it has no budget for the officers who will occupy them, even though there was a shortage of officers.

Reports from Kawolo Hospital in Lugazi Town show that the workers there have laid down tools protesting delayed salaries.

The Public Service Day is an initiative supported by the African Union and is marketed annually by all member countries, to explain the service delivery, developments and challenges in the sector, and how the public can utilize them.

The Police Traffic and Road Safety Directorate Spokesperson, Faridah Nampiima said all police departments will participate in the day’s events to sensitise the public about the Force’s different services.

The events start with sports activities at Makerere University sports grounds this weekend and end with the main occasion at Kololo ceremonial grounds next week.

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