31% BUDGET GOES TO CIVIL SERVANTS SALARIES
LOBAMBA –Neal Rijkenberg, the Minister for Finance, yesterday tabled the government’s financial blueprint, revealing that 31.25 per cent of the budget will pay civil servants’ salaries.
In his budget speech, Rijkenberg outlined that the wage bill is projected to rise to E10.48 billion in the next financial year, beginning April 1, 2025. This marks an increase from E9.8 billion allocated in the current financial year, which ends on 31 March 2025. The wage exceeds capital projects which have a budget of E7 247 687 000.
Effectively, this signifies a year-on-year increase of E680 million—equating to an additional E56 million per month. As a result, the government is set to spend approximately E873.33 million per month in salaries for its 43 959 civil servants in the next financial year. Addressing Parliament, Rijkenberg stated: "Mr Speaker, in the 2025/26 financial year, the public servants’ wage bill is budgeted to reach E10.48 billion, compared to E9.80 billion in the 2024/25 financial year."
This adjustment represents a 6.94 per cent increase. Additionally, E500 million has been set aside to cater for the outcome of the pending salary review exercise and other wage-related expenditures. In comparison to its regional peers, Eswatini’s public wage bill is notably high. For instance, in Lesotho, civil service remuneration accounts for 17 per cent of GDP and 32 per cent of total government expenditure—a figure significantly higher than the 13 per cent GDP average among member states of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU).
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) represents the total value of goods and services produced within a country during a specified period, serving as a crucial indicator of economic strength. According to projections from the World Bank, Eswatini’s GDP was expected to reach E86.4 billion in the current financial year, meaning that the government’s wage bill will represent approximately 11.63 per cent of GDP.
Spending on Social Grants
On another note, government will also spend E610.128 million on elderly grants and E94.327 million on persons with disabilities. Government has also budgeted to increase the number of Persons with Disabilities receiving the national grant by 2 500 and adding E50 to each recipient raising the monthly amount received to E450.
For the 2025/26 financial year, the Government of Eswatini will move all the beneficiaries to the mobile Money Platform (MoMo) for grant payments to ensure efficiency and a cost reduction amounting to about E2.9 million per annum. Following the submissions made during the Sibaya National Dialogue, the Government through the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office (DPM) has conducted a Community Outreach Programme in all four regions, to identify vulnerabilities and other social ills that require immediate social protection interventions.
Among the key deliverables to the poor and vulnerable population is the provision of decent shelter. Through the support of Partners, in the current year, the Government through the DPM’s Office has managed to construct 20 houses for the needy and vulnerable people including Elderly Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Child Headed Households. In the 2025/26 financial year, Government has made an allocation towards the construction of houses with backyard gardens, fencing and water tanks to promote water harvesting in order for households to access clean and safe drinking water.
The Government of Eswatini is committed to inclusiveness and mainstreaming of disability issues in both the public and private sector. Government has launched the National Disability Plan of Action 2024-2028, which will guide the nation in implementing policies and development programmes that are inclusive.The plan aims at promoting and protecting the fundamental rights and empowerment on socio economic issues for all Persons with Disabilities.
In collaboration with our UN Development Partners, the Government of the Kingdom of Eswatini received E13 million to strengthen the 26 services provided in the education and health sector on human capital development of Persons with Disabilities. To deliver on the mandate for PWDs, the Government of Eswatini has provided the budget to establish the Secretariat and ensure the Office delivers the aspirations of the Persons with Disabilities as specified in the National Plan of Action for 2024 -2028.
In a decisive move to safeguard Eswatini’s most vulnerable populations, Rijkenberg said government has reaffirmed its commitment to social welfare by allocating substantial resources to essential services, particularly targeting the elderly and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). The Deputy Prime Minister’s Office has been granted E1.07 billion to sustain critical cash transfer programmes for these groups, ensuring that financial relief continues to reach those in need.
Currently, the minister said 84 740 elderly citizens and 17 468 PWDs benefit from government grants, underscoring the extensive reach of these social protections. In alignment with His Majesty’s pronouncement, the minister said the 2024/25 financial year sees an additional E105 million allocated to elderly grants—representing a 20 per cent increase.
This adjustment, he mentioned in his budget speech that it is aimed at mitigating the rising cost of living, translates to an E100 monthly increment per beneficiary, bringing the total monthly grant from E500 to E600. Further demonstrating its commitment to inclusivity, the government, according to the minister, has budgeted to expand the PWDs grant scheme by 2 500 additional recipients, while increasing the monthly stipend by E50, raising it to E450 per beneficiary.
Enhancing efficiency in grant disbursement, the Government will transition all beneficiaries to the Mobile Money (MoMo) payment platform by 2025/26, a shift anticipated to save roughly E2.9 million annually. A major boost has also been directed towards the Ministry of Education and Training, with E4.20 billion allocated to the recurrent budget and E316 million to the capital budget. Recognising the crucial role of nutritional support in learning outcomes, he said the budget for school feeding programmes increases by E33 million.
In addition, E194 million has been set aside for the OVC fund and E702.35 million for scholarships, bringing the total education and training budget to E5.41 billion—an investment that equates to 16.6 per cent of the total national budget. Strengthening social safety nets and disability inclusion following submissions from the Sibaya National Dialogue, the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office has conducted a nationwide Community Outreach Programme across all four regions to identify social vulnerabilities requiring urgent intervention. Among key initiatives is government-backed housing support for the underprivileged, with 20 homes already completed this year for the elderly, PWDs, and child-headed households.
For 2025/26, Rijkenberg said government has committed to scaling up this initiative by constructing additional homes, integrated with backyard gardens, fencing, and water tanks to promote sustainable water harvesting and ensure access to clean drinking water for beneficiaries.
Eswatini has also taken a progressive step towards disability inclusion with the launch of the National Disability Plan of Action (2024-2028).This blueprint, according to the minister, will guide both the public and private sectors in embedding disability-sensitive policies within national development strategies.
Furthermore, in collaboration with UN Development Partners, government has secured E13 million to enhance education and healthcare services for persons with disabilities, aiming to strengthen human capital development in these crucial sectors. To ensure seamless implementation of the plan, the minister reported that government has also budgeted for the establishment of a dedicated secretariat to oversee policy execution and uphold the rights and aspirations of PWDs.
The minister also talked about possibilities of creating over 8 000 jobs. He said the construction of the Johnson Workwear factory shell is on track for completion within six months. Once operational, he said this facility is expected to create over 2 000 jobs.
Additionally, the minister said the reconstruction of the previously burntdown factory shell at Hlathikhulu has been completed, potentially providing employment for 450 individuals.Rijkenberg mentioned that the Gamula factory shell is set to have commenced in January, while the Ndzevane factory shell has recently been finalised, with an anticipated workforce of slightly over 1 000 employees.
He said the development of factory shells at Ngwenya and Piggs Peak are being finalised, which are projected to offer employment opportunities for approximately 1 000 and 450 people, respectively.Rijkenberg announced future plans for construction of factory shells.He said a strategic policy has been adopted to construct 10 factory shells annually.
He said this initiative is expected to attract investments totalling E1.047 billion and generate approximately 4 000 new employment opportunities each year.
He then set aside a budget of E140 million for the construction of factory shells in the country.
10 MINISTRIES GET OVER E1 BILLION BUDGETS
MBABANE –At least, budget allocations for 10 ministries have exceeded E1 billion. As usual the Ministry of Education and Training has received a lion share of the budget E4 489 459 593. This allocation includes capital projects of E315 million. However, government spends E5.41 billion on education when allocations for OVCs and scholarships are included.
These facilities are managed by the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Labour and Social Security.In the current financial year (2024/2025), government, in total, allocated E5 billion for the education sector. It has been a tradition for the Ministry of Health to receive the second highest budget allocation.
Faced with drug shortages, the ministry will get E3.005 682 954.00 (E3.10 billion) for use in the next financial year.The Ministry of Health’s budget for the 2024/2025 was also in the region of E3 billion.
In the next financial year, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development’s budget will exceed E2 billion.
Tasked with projects like the construction of the International Convention Centre and Five-Star Hotel, the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development’s exact allocation for the 2025/2026 financial year will stand at E2 267 407 985.
Government has set aside E630 million for the ICC project.
Neal Rijkenberg, the Minister for Finance, stated in his budget speech: “the government had planned to complete the ICC; unfortunately we have failed to do so due to variations in the scope of work. This year will be providing E600 million to finalise this project and an additional E30 million to operationalize the ICC.”
The Ministry of Defence is to receive E1.7 billion. Rijkenberg stated that the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) will continue with its peacekeeping mandate and manning security along all borders.
In the 2024/2025 financial year, the Ministry of Defence was allocated a budget of E1.595 710 000.00. The budget increased by 6.5 per cent.
The Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) also exceeded the E1 billion mark as its précis budget is E1 451 779 397. It was E1 264 768 000 in the previous budget. The allocation for REPS is set to increase by 14.7 per cent.
Justifying the allocation, the minister for finance said REPS aims to reduce crime by three per cent annually through community-oriented policing.
“This will be achieved by strengthening the trust between our law enforcement and the community, while also fostering partnerships that address the root causes of crime and promote proactive solutions,” the minister for finance said. “Cooperation with the police to recognise, report and fight crime and corruption will ensure that the effectiveness of their effort is much higher and the cost to the government is lower.”
The Ministry of Agriculture’s budget for the next financial year is E1.6 billion.
Rijkenberg said agriculture remains the industry that could have the biggest positive impact on the economy in the short term.
He said the country has tens of thousands of hectares of unused terraced agricultural land and a big unemployment problem.
“This is a recipe for a wonderful win-win if we could farm economically on a small piece of land,” he said.
The minister revealed that many countries in the East have large percentages of their population successfully farming small pieces of land economically.
He said government has spoken about this many times over the years. With food security being a focus area in the Program of Action (PoA), the minister said the Ministry of Agriculture is now starting a few projects to deal with this issue.
He mentioned that one of them is the Smallholder Agricultural Productivity and Market Enhancement Project (SAPEMP), which is scheduled for launch in May 2025 through the Eswatini Water and Agricultural Development Enterprise (EWADE).
He announced the project’s budget allocation of E60.40 million, He said SAPEMP aims to empower over 17 000 smallholder farmers, particularly in the vulnerable southeastern regions of our country.
|
Description |
Recurrent expenditure |
Capital Expenditure |
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Education |
E4 174 368 593 |
E315 091 000 |
E4 489 459 593 |
|
Health |
E2 875 230 954 |
E130 452 000 |
E3 005 682 954 |
|
Public Works |
E1 287 227 355 |
E1 179 893 000 |
E2 467 120 355 |
|
Economic Planning |
E2 267 407 985 |
E295 362 985 |
E2 267 407 985 |
|
Defence |
E1 724 100 068 |
E50 000 000 |
E1 774 100 068 |
|
Agriculture |
E406 187 001 |
E1 247 484 000 |
E1 653 671 001 |
|
Natural Resources |
E119 397 623 |
E1 451 741 000 |
E1 571 138 623 |
|
Police |
E1 365 331 397 |
E50 000 000 |
E1 451 779 397 |
|
DPM |
E1 071 576 902 |
E26 900 001 |
E1 071 576 902 |
|
Finance |
E954 649 480 |
E90 201 000 |
E1 044 850 480 |
|
Labour |
E815 959 913 |
E5 800 000 |
E821 759 913 |
|
Correctional |
E727 260 311 |
E29 945 000 |
E757 205 311 |
|
Foreign Affairs |
E697 015 183 |
E41 400 000 |
E738 415 183 |
|
National Treasury |
E493 018 927 |
E170 000 000 |
E663 018 927 |
|
Tinkhundla |
E475 266 011 |
E57 438 000 |
E532 704 011 |
|
Housing |
E431 183 593 |
E63 000 000 |
E494 183 593 |
|
ICT |
E296 528 423 |
E58 000 000 |
E354 528 423 |
|
Commerce |
|
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