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Govt accountants want their money

02/01/2010 00:00:00 LUNGA MASUKU

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MBABANE – After it rained money on the country’s politicians, government’s junior accountant officers also want a share of what is due to them.

Sources within government ministries told the Swazi News how the accountants were promised money provided they proved that they were qualified for the jobs they were doing. One source from the Income Tax department said their qualifications were to determine how much they were to be paid monthly.

He said government took it a step further and issued circular Number 3 of 2009 entitled Job Re-grading for the Income Tax Department and Customs and Excise Department. It is almost a year now since the circular was issued.
“This circular was issued in March 31, 2009 and we are now at the end of December and we have not heard a thing from government as to why the circular was not implemented. In three months time we will be in March.
“All we want is our money. We cannot allow these people to use us as shovels for doing the dirty work of collecting government money but be paid peanuts. Something is coming their way if they do not implement the circular in full.

“In the last three months our politicians paid themselves handsomely through the money that we collect and they have been doing it like they were looting government coffers. In 2010 we want our share and that is not negotiable,” said our source.
“Following the request for re-evaluation of positions from the above mentioned departments, the Ministry of Public Service has completed the review and evaluation of these positions and the results were herein issued by this circular.

“The effective date of this circular is January 1, 2009. In the case of those who do not possess the relevant qualifications, the effective date shall be as and when the required qualifications are attained.
The method of conversion is a transfer of affected officer from his or her current pay grade and notch one of the new grade, or the higher notch accommodating his or her current pay amount.

The new grades have been arrived at through the evaluation of the job content and the skills requirements to execute the task.
It is therefore imperative for the incumbents converting to the new grades to possess the requirements before they become eligible to convert into new grades. The names of officers who already qualify will be submitted to the Ministry of Public Service (MOPS) so that they can be assigned to the relevant upgraded posts. Names of officers who qualify hereafter will be submitted as they qualify so that their posts can be upgraded at that time,” reads the circular in part.

It further states that the Commissioner of Taxes and Commissioner Customs and Excise are urged to engage on an intensive training programme, especially for those who do not qualify. Despite the fact that every effort has been made in this circular to ensure that there are no omissions or errors that may result from the implementation of this re-grading, “No officer will be deprived of an advantage to which she/he is entitled, nor will any officer be allowed to gain advantage to which he/she is not entitled as a result of a unintentional mistake, whether mistake transpires in this circular or in the process of its implementation,” reads the circular in part.

Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Evart Madlopha said government implemented the circular, but a dispute led to the suspension of the exercise because they could not agree on a number of things.

“Government is committed to implementing the circular but the problem is with the officers who do not have qualifications. About 90 per cent of the officers do not have qualifications so it cannot be possible to implement the circular under such conditions. Government cannot rely on their experience while the requirements are qualifications.

After seeing that there was a dispute government then decided to suspend the implementation of the circular up until we agree on the requirements. The dispute over this circular has led to the delay of the introduction of the Revenue Authority. I am hopeful that in the next three months the issue would have been solved. In June government was looking at having the revenue authority up and running,” said Madlopha.

He said he would not like to comment on threats by officers that they will be forced to down tools because the country’s politicians were paying themselves and neglecting the people collecting the money. He said their structure is outcome driven so he does not want to discuss politics on who gets what and why?