MORE RETURNING MPS HIT BY PAY DEDUCTIONS

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.

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