11 Mar 2021

 The Minister for Presidential Affairs, Governance and Public Administration, Mr Kabo Morwaeng, has informed Parliament that government pays an average of P80 million per month as scarce skills allowance.

Responding to a question in Parliament, Mr Morwaeng said the allowance would be determined by the position the graduate would be deployed to.

In addition, Mr Morwaeng said the attraction and retention policy provided for the skills audit to determine areas of greatest needs based on submissions of accounting officers for consideration by government.

He said the skills audit would provide the basis for review of the scarce skills allowance. 

This, he said, could be done under conducive circumstances after consultation with the relevant stakeholders, he said.

Minister Morwaeng explained that scarce skills in the public service were determined after analysing several factors associated with the public service position. 

Therefore, he said an academic qualification on its own did not determine scarce skills allowance eligibility.

He said the number of graduates who registered at the Department of Public Service Management (DPSM) stood at 49 372 in November last year.

Palapye MP, Mr Oneetse Ramogapi, had asked the minister to state the number of graduates classified as scarce skills and the amount government paid as scarce skills allowance per month

Mr Ramogapi had asked the minister to state the number of graduates who were registered on the graduate database and if the ministry had considered a review of the scarce skills allowance to ensure it was paid only to those that deserved it. ends