2 200 CIVIL SERVANTS EXPECTED TO BE HIRED

MANZINI - Civil servants are expected to increase by about 2 200 in this financial year.

The Ministry of Public Service’s First Quarter Report for the financial year 2024/25 states that there is an envisaged increase of civil servants numbers to reach about 46 000, as per the audit, which is a desirable number that will ensure quality service delivery and optimum utilisation of staff. The Ministry of Public Service reported that government has continued to hire temporary teachers under the Ministry of Education and Training, where the Teaching Service Commission was seen partaking in converting some temporary posts to permanent positions as per the Cabinet directive.

The ministry reported that it is imperative to note that over and above, the Ministry of Education and Training hiring of teachers, there will be critical positions that government will need to fill not only under the health, Judiciary and agricultural sectors; but also across many government departments as per the management audit recommendations. It was reported that projections based on the outturns to March 2025 depict that the wage bill excluding the pension contribution will grow to reach about E8.521 billion by the end of the 2024/25 financial year. The three months to June 2024 were said to depict   an average monthly wage bill amounting to E681 million and totalling E2.042 billion as opposed to  2023/24 average monthly average of E668 million and totalling E1. 938 billion in the first three months of the financial year.

“Following the averages as per the financial year 2024/25 to June 2024, the total wage bill depicts that it will grow to reach E8.170 billion as opposed to the projected E8.521 billion. Projections on the wage bill for the first three months depict a total of E2.076 billion, much against a lower outturn of about E2.042 billion and depicting a saving of about E33 million,” reads the report in part. To this, the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg, said they have contained the wage bill and they envisage that when the recruitments are implemented in the security forces, some personnel would have retired while others would have left the civil service due to natural attrition and or resignations.

Rijkenberg said government, through the collaboration of various ministries, is doing all possible to contain the wage bill. He said: “The personnel budget is at about five per cent, while the wage bill is 11 per cent of the overall total expenditure of the country.” It is worth noting that this publication yesterday reported that the wage bill now stands at about E10 billion despite the ongoing hiring freeze employed by government, which was set to contain it. The E10 billion mark was confirmed by Rijkenberg, when sought to establish the impact of the recruitment of security personnel, who are expected to be enlisted next year.

Rijkenberg was questioned on the basis that in the next financial year, the salary review is anticipated to be implemented, as a consultant is currently benchmarking the remuneration of the 43 751 personnel in the public service. This follows that, according to the Establishment Register Supporting the Estimates of Public Expenditure for the Financial Year 2024/25, there are 40 096 graded posts of civil servants and an additional of 3 655 that are ungraded, which tallies 43 751.

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