Top brass to pull belts in a good few holes
There will be no more security upgrades in ministers’ private homes, no more business class flights and a reduction in the number of ministerial aides.
The state will also curb litigation and defend only winnable cases.
These are some of the wide range of cuts prescribed in the new ministerial handbook and announced by public service and administration minister Senzo Mchunu on Monday.
Among the cost-cutting changes were that security upgrades for private residences would no longer be paid for by the state.
“Upgrades in your residence for security reasons have always been pegged at R100,000 when you get appointed as minister or MEC.
It was upped a few years ago to R250,000, and now we are at zero.
“For any new appointee, there is no longer any money allocated for that purpose, in the main for private residences,” he said.
Cuts to the benefits enjoyed by members of the executive include:
Pegging the cost of official vehicles to R700,000, inclusive of VAT, maintenance plans and security extras;
Members and their spouses travelling by air transport must travel in economy class for all official domestic travel and for international travel when the travel time is less than two hours;
The state shall not bear any costs in respect of security upgrades done at the members’ private residences;
Members and their spouses travelling by air transport must travel in economy class
The rental for cellphones, as well as the cost of official calls, is subject to an annual limitation of R60,000.
Staff in support of a member’s office, excluding household aides, has been reduced to seven from 13 for a minister, five from nine for a deputy minister, seven from 12 for a premier and five from 12 for an MEC.
Mchunu said it was envisaged that similar changes would take place to cut these costs in the public service and the public sector in general.
These changes would also affect mayors, executive committees, directors general and stateowned entities.
While government seeks to restrict benefits to members of the executive, it is still remaining mum on how it will deal with the burgeoning public sector wage bill.