Zuma, ministers and deputies face a zero-percent salary increase in 2017
The Independent Commission on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers (PBOs) has recommended that high-earning public officials – including the president, deputy president and all ministers and deputy ministers – get a zero-percent increase in salaries for 2017.
In its latest annual recommendations published last week, the commission said that, in light of the tough economic conditions facing the country, public officials should tighten their belts and weather through a pay freeze in 2017.
For 2016/17, the committee recommended that there be no adjustment to salaries (0%) – but it was not a blanket recommendation, with a staggered approach taken to various officials – especially low-income earners.
The zero-percent recommendation was reached by consulting with various stakeholders, the commission said, but was primarily based on the directive from minister of Finance Pravin Gordhan and National Treasury in his budget speech: simply put, the country does not have enough money to increase salaries for government officials.
“The higher level of unemployment and the low tax base (has resulted in) inadequate state resources to fund remuneration increases,” the commission said.
The commission said that its recommendations only affect higher income earners, and that lower income earners – such as nurses and teachers – would not face a zero-percent increase.
The zero-percent recommendation applies to:
- All members of National Executive (president, deputy president and ministers) and Deputy Ministers;
- All members of Parliament;
- All members off the Provincial Executive and Legislature;
- All Judges;
- All positions in Local Government – from Executive Mayor to Whip;
- and all Traditional Leaders.
“The commission seriously considered an appropriate inflation-linked increase in order to protect salaries against the increased cost of living.
“However, due to the dire state of the economy as advised by the Minister of Finance, the commission resolved that the impact of inflation can be absorbed better by higher income earners than lower earners.
“It is appropriate for high income earners to make sacrifices in difficult economic times – this is particularly the case for those in leadership positions to be exemplary,” the commission said.
Notably, the commission singled out traditional leaders as well, saying that, while traditional leaders are not elected by their constituents, they have constituencies mostly in the deep rural areas that are very poor and mostly unemployed.
“The highest echelons of Traditional Leadership are, relatively, already earning very high incomes and would therefore be more resilient to the effects of inflation than the lower earning Traditional Leaders and other lower levels of POBs.
“The Commission discourages a situation where Traditional Leaders would live in relative comfort while their subjects or constituencies face abject poverty. Hence, the no increase recommendation for this category of POBs, at the senior to top levels of Traditional Leadership,” it said.
It is now up to president Jacob Zuma to make a declaration on the recommendations from the commission, as it is his responsiblity to sign off on such adjustments. It is the president’s prerogative to make any changes he sees fit.
This was seen last year, when the president chose to implement salary increases below the committee’s recommendations in 2015/16. The committee recommended an increase of 5%, while the president declared a lower increase at 4.4%.
The president cannot make a declaration on his own salary, however – this will be handed to Parliament to make a decision.
Below you can find the salary levels as they were determined for 2016, which – if the recommendations are implemented – will carry over to 2017.
Loading ...