Times Of Swaziland: MORE RETURNING MPS HIT BY PAY DEDUCTIONS

MORE RETURNING MPS HIT BY PAY DEDUCTIONS
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BY STANLEY KHUMALO on 10/12/2018 08:46:00


MBABANE – Government means business about zipping the purse as more
politicians had their salaries slashed.
The first cheque for some politicians in the 11th Parliament was something not
worthy of their happiness as their pay was deducted due to an overpayment in the
month of October. First to highlight the challenge was Matsanjeni North
Constituency Member of Parliament (MP), Phila Buthezi. Buthelezi, who is the
Deputy Speaker of the 11th Parliament, during a workshop for MP last Thursday,
said he was among those who had received the lowest salary among the politicians
and said the reason was that there was an overpayment. He said it was discovered
that there was an overpayment of E45 000 in his salary which was then deducted.
The problem has been caused by the fact that when legislators were paid their
salaries at the end of October, it was on a full-month scale yet they had worked
for around 10 days.
Gratuity
It was then stated that the Treasury Department would deduct the money from
those who were returnees while for those who had not returned, it would be taken
from their gratuity. The politicians who were affected by this included those
who were backbenchers and ex-Cabinet ministers in the previous Parliament.
Another politician who had to cough up the extra remuneration he had received
from government in October was David ‘Cruiser’ Ngcamphalala, who had his
first salary ‘cruise’ away from his hands. This, according to the minister
of Tinkhundla Administration and Development, followed that the Ministry of
Finance had informed him that he was overpaid in October, 2018. “I was not
paid for November and they informed me that I was paid an extra amount for
October by mistake,” Ngcamphalala said.
The Sigwe Constituency elected Member of Parliament (MP) further said the
Treasury Department, under the Ministry of Finance, informed him that he would
be remunerated for this month. The legislators had their first pay cheque on
November 30, 2018.
This was unlike in previous years where they were paid every 20th of each month.
Following that there is no new circular addressing the perks and remuneration of
politicians in the country, the legislators were paid using Finance Circular
No.2 of 2013.
Further, the reason the politicians were paid by cheque on the last day of the
month was, according to an impeccable source in the Ministry of Finance, because
Cabinet made an addendum to the circular allowing the 11th Parliament to be
remunerated accordingly with the provision that the payment will change when a
new circular was released.