Salaries, allowances almost similar to MPs, ministers
MBABANE – The Royal Com mission, which worked on the remuneration of traditional councils (emabandla) has ensured that their salaries and allowances are almost similar to those of politicians.
This means that individuals who previously held the positions of Member of Parliament or Cabinet minister and will be appointed into any of the 10 emabandla will not be worse off.
The prime minister (PM) and dep uty prime minister (DPM) still lead in terms of the basic salary.
The salaries for chairpersons of the emabandla are exactly those of the presiding officers in Parliament.
As per a circular which was is sued last year, an ordinary MP gets a basic salary of E51 104.83 and this is the same amount that has been allocated to members of the different emabandla.
MPs are entitled to a car allow ance of E10 833.33 per month; a constituency allowance of E6 388.10, which is 12.5 per cent of their basic salary; a housing allow ance which is 10 per cent of their basic salary which is E5 110.48; communication allowance of E1 000 and utilities equivalent to three per cent of their salary, which at this instance, amounts to E1 533.15.
All these, except for the constitu ency allowance, have been provid ed for in the structure for members of emabandla.
SIMILARITY
Another notable similarity is that the salaries for some of the chair persons of emabandla, except for those of Liqoqo and Ludzidzini Council, are not far from those of Cabinet ministers.
Following a three per cent salary increment, the basic salary of a Cabinet minister stands at E65 518.97, while the chairpersons of the Border Restoration Committee, Civil Service Commission (CSC), Minerals Management Board will get about E63 881 as basic salary.
Chairpersons who will get less are those of the Citizenship Board, Land Management Board and the Teaching Service Commission as their basic salaries have been set at E59 622.
This is the same amount that is earned by Deputy Speaker Madala Mhlanga.
Also noted as a similarity is the monthly communication for the members of the chairpersons of emabandla as it has been set at E5 000, which is the same for Cabinet ministers.
Furthermore, members of emabandla will, just like politicians, be entitled to a loan meant to cover their security.
The notice on the remuneration for emabandla reads, “An office bearer of a libandla, statutory Board or commission is eligible to apply for a once off loan not exceeding E200 000 for improving the security in the residence of the office bearer.”
It also mentions that a sum of E150 000 of the loan shall be pro vided by the government and that if the office bearer requires the bal ance of E50 000, it shall be sourced from a local financial institution in line with the Civil Service Home Loan Scheme.
Early this year, our publication re ported that government had made a commitment to make the stipulated E200 000 loan for each of the MPs available.
DISTRIBUTED
This was communicated through a memorandum issued by the prin cipal secretary in the Ministry of Finance dated January 16, 2024, distributed to various departments including the offices of the secretary to Cabinet, principal secretaries, heads of departments and both the accountant and auditor general.
The memorandum informed gov ernment departments of an adden dum to Circular No. of 2023, which is the instrument that details the terms and conditions of service of parliamentarians and designated office bearers of the 12th Parliament