19 Feb 2014

Government appreciates that the public service employees’ salaries are low compared to the current inflation rate, the Director of the Public Service Management (DPSM), Mr Carter Morupisi, said.

However, Mr Morupisi said the economic climate made it difficult for the government to adjust salaries to the expected figure. Addressing public servants in Ramotswa on February 18, Mr Morupisi said there was need for public servants to appreciate the financial predicaments that the government was working within.

Mr Morupisi said despite the low salaries, there was need for the public servants to appreciate other incentives due to them such as contribution to their retirement package, medical aid and leave travel concession. He pointed that the bulk of government budget went to public service salaries.

He added that out of the P40 billion budget for the year 2014/15 financial year, about P16 billion would be spent on civil servants’ salaries and other incentives. This, he said, was at the expense of other services such as provision of transport, petrol and other development projects.

On other issues, the DPSM director assured the public services employees that the bargaining council was functional, adding the government and the union differed on salary adjustment issues only. “There is however need for a compromise,” he said.

Mr Morupisi said there was an outcry of the quality of the service offered by the public servants to its customers. The quality has been documented by the Botswana National Productivity Center (BNPC) and the World Economic Forum. Issues raised include inefficiency, giving customers inaccurate information and poor work ethics. He called for mindset change to provide satisfactory service.

He said however that the government was aware that some civil servants provided excellent service. Other concerns that DPSM complained about were delays in resolving employees’ complaints and participation of public servants in politics. He added that it was bad for public servants to be political.

During comments, most employees complained about slow progression in the public service, shortage of office accommodation and lack of accommodation.

One of them, Mr Olsen Mantle, pointed that staff in the South East District commute from other districts because there is shortage of accommodation, adding that this contributed to poor performance.

Mr Mantle asked the government to assist employees who are not staying in government pool houses because those in pool house enjoyed subsidised rent. ENDS