In Swaziland, cabinet ministers are paid more than the prime minister and his deputy. This is because of the way that personal allowances are calculated.
The Times Sunday, an independent newspaper in Swaziland, published what it called a ‘highly classified government document’ detailing the salaries and allowances.
One minister told the newspaper that cabinet ministers were paid too little and the money should be increased. The newspaper withheld his name ‘to protect him’.
The full report is published below.
Ministers paid E89 000 per month
MBABANE - Cabinet ministers are paid more than the Prime Minister (PM) Sibusiso Dlamini and his Deputy Themba Masuku.
Each minister earns E1 070 771 per annum or a total of E89 230.92 per month compared to the PM's E910 944 per annum, which translates to E75 912 per month.
All these amounts are inclusive of the politicians' basic salary and allowances.
According to a highly classified government document in this newspaper's possession, the ministers' total packages are higher because of the allowances they receive from government.
They are paid more than E42 000 as basic salaries but their total allowances go as high as E46 800.
The total value of their individual allowances supersedes their basic salaries.
The Prime Minister confirmed that he earned less than his ministers.
He said the disparity was a result of the fact that ministers are paid capital and car maintenance allowances.
"The PM and DPM are remunerated less than Cabinet ministers because they are housed by government, and are also provided with official vehicles," he said.
He was speaking through government spokesperson Macanjana Motsa.
Motsa also confirmed that the figures mentioned above were correct.
According to the document, ministers are paid a basic salary of E508 237 per annum while their allowances stand at E562 534 per annum.
The PM's basic salary is E635 296 per year and his allowances amount to E275 648.
The DPM is paid a total package of E836 296 per annum and E69 691 per month.
His allowances stand at E254 524 per annum.
Cabinet has agreed to take a 10 per cent cut as of April 2011.
This is being done in an effort to salvage the country's ailing economy following advice from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The IMF suggested that public servants earning E300 000 per annum and above should take 10 per cent salary cuts while those earning E200 000 and above should have their salaries cut by eight per cent.
Those earning below will have their pay reduced by six per cent.
Government has proposed that politicians earning less than E100 000 sacrifice 4.5 per cent of their salaries.
Government has indicated that cuts should also apply across the civil service.
The politicians' allowances were boosted by the introduction of Finance Circular No. 1 of 2010, which improved their perks.
According to the circular, ministers, the PM and his deputy are entitled to 12.5 per cent of their basic salary as constituency allowance.
Prime Minister, his deputy, minister, presiding officers and RAs are entitled to a housing loan of up to E1.5 million at a maximum of eight per cent interest for up to 10 years to be arranged by government.
The PM does not receive this money because he stays in a government house.
This allowance is also extended to presiding officers, MPs, Senators and Regional Administrators.
They are also paid an annual capital allowance of E120 000 to enable them to purchase equivalent vehicles for their private use.
They further receive E74 063 as maintenance allowance.
Meanwhile, one minister said salaries paid to ministers were too little.
The minister, whose name is withheld to protect him, said the money should be increased.
"Our salaries are far too low compared to our colleagues in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region.
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