1 400 new forces recruits,

LOBAMBA – The wage bill is expected to increase from below E8 billion to at least E8.3 billion as the security forces have added 1 400 new recruits.

All three security forces in Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and His Majesty Correctional Services (HMCS) are undergoing the recruitment process, whose desired figure of recruits for each force was revealed by the Minister of Finance, Neal Rijkenberg.

The minister said there would be at least 600 recruited into the army, 450 into REPS and 350 into the Correctional Services, making the total 1 400.

The minister revealed the figures after being requested by the Chairman of the Ministry of Finance Portfolio Committee and Lobamba Lomdzala, MP Marwick Khumalo.

Decline

“What are the recruitment figures so that we appreciate that the wage bill is nowhere near a decline?” Khumalo asked. However, the minister said the impact on the wage bill will not be heavy this year, as it was only on uniform and food for the new recruits that demanded much funding.

He said it would be next year where the wage bill was anticipated to balloon to a minimum E8.1 billion or a maximum E8.3 billion, which would be an increase of at least E300 million as the minister revealed that it was slightly below E8 billion.

He also explained that one strategy that would help the situation in terms of decreasing the wage bill was the process currently underway, to merge the public enterprises, a process that was anticipated to be complete next year November.

He said as much as the hiring freeze exercise did bear fruits for government, but the pressure was mounting in every government department as they were short of personnel and other means had to be employed.