MBABANE – Some civil servants are decrying that their improved salaries under the new government salary review have not brought the relief they expected, with many saying tax deductions have swallowed up much of the increase.
Public sector employees across various ministries have expressed disappointment after receiving their October remuneration, stating that the much-anticipated adjustments reflected minimal take-home pay. The review, which came into effect this month, was intended to cushion workers against the rising cost of living and align salaries with prevailing economic conditions.
However, several civil servants have expressed that the difference between their old and new salaries was far less than they had anticipated.
According to information gathered by this publication, the increases have pushed some workers into higher tax brackets under the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) system administered by the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS). This means that as their gross income rises, the percentage of tax payable also increases, thereby reducing their disposable income.
Public Sector Unions (PSUs) have confirmed receiving similar concerns from their members. A representative from one major union said they were compiling reports from affected employees and intend to engage government on the issue.
“We are not ungrateful for the increase, but the workers’ frustration is understandable,” the unionist said. “We want to discuss whether the Ministry of Finance can consider revising tax bands or introducing relief measures to ensure the salary review meets its intended purpose.”
The Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General, Lot Vilakati, said government had informed them that there was a possibility of miscalculations.
“Some people claim to have been charged more tax than required, while others claim to have been taxed twice,” he said.
Vilakati added that this demonstrated that there was still much to be discussed at the Joint Negotiation Table (JNT). He explained that some grievances stemmed from reports that certain civil servants had been taxed on both their back pay and their reviewed salary, even though the back pay was expected to be taxed next year when they receive the remaining percentage of the salary review.
Civil servants received 15 per cent of their salary review on October 26, 2025 (Monday) as per a signed agreement, while the remaining 85 per cent is expected to be paid in July 2026.
He said most complaints were based on government placing some employees in higher tax brackets.
“They lament that the money remitted to them after tax was smaller than expected,” said Vilakati.
He stressed the importance of returning to the negotiation table so that government could clarify how tax calculations were conducted for the various grades.
“Government will further explain some of these issues, as we are not content with the current situation. You may find that there are concerns, yet there is a justification for how the calculations were made,” he said.
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