Times Of Swaziland: SWAZI MINISTERS PAID MORE THAN SADC HEADS OF STATE

SWAZI MINISTERS PAID MORE THAN SADC HEADS OF STATE
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BY MBONGENI NDLELA on 15/09/2014 04:39:00


MBABANE – Cabinet ministers, after of the 6.5 per cent salary increment was
effected recently, are now paid salaries higher than those of some heads of
state in the SADC region.
SADC is the Southern African Development Community.
The Times Investigations Desk has learnt that Swazi ministers earn salaries
higher than that of Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane and President of
Seychelles James Michel. Furthermore, this publication has learnt that Prime
Minister Sibusiso Dlamini remains the highest paid politician than most heads of
state in the SADC region.
The PM is remunerated a higher salary than heads of state from countries
including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and Seychelles.
Cabinet ministers, after the new salary hikes, are now earning a basic salary of
E43 852.83 which equates to E526 233.96 per annum.
However, the Lesotho prime minister reportedly earns a salary of E480 000 per
annum which is about E40 000 per month.
Prior to the increments, Cabinet ministers were earning a basic salary of around
E39 000 which has, however shot up to E43 852.83. This effectively means that
they now earn E3 852 more than what the Lesotho PM is remunerated.
President of Seychelles James Michel is reflected to be earning E312 000 per
annum which is E26 000 per month.
This means local ministers are earn E17 852.83 more than what Michel earns.
Prime Minister Dlamini’s salary, after the new salary increments, stands at
E54 816.08 per month which is E657 792.96 per annum.
As reflected in the review of the terms and conditions of service for
politicians in the Ministry of Finance, the PM remains the highest paid head of
government when compared to some heads of state in SADC.
The review was compiled by PricewaterhouseCoopers. This was after a public
outcry that saw His Majesty the King calling for the review of Finance Circular
No. 1 during Sibaya.
The review states that president of Botswana earns around E578 070 per year.
This effectively means the president, Ian Khama, earns a salary of E48 172.50 a
month.  This marks a difference of E6 643.58 to what is earned by the PM and
Khama.
Mozambique President Armando Guebuza is reflected to be earning a salary of E546
551 per year which is E45 545.92 per month. This means the local PM earns E9
270.16 more than Guebuza.
President of Seychelles Michel is reflected to be earning E312 000 per annum
which is E26 000 per month while the Swazi prime minister earns E28 816 more
than Michel.
It was stated that due to the lack of benchmark information from similar sized
countries (based on GDP) to Swaziland within SADC, PWC was unable to benchmark
the total cost of remuneration for the majority of Swaziland parliamentarians
remuneration data.
“Observations from the above indicate that Swaziland’s prime minister earns
marginally higher than the average of the comparator group.
“The basic salary of the president of Mauritius represents an outlier, as it
skews the data,” stated PWC.