MBABANE – Uniformed forces are getting their revised salaries this month as the consultants has completed its task.
Uniformed forces, who include His Majesty’s Correctional Services (HMCS), Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) and Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF), were left out last month when government implemented the salary review for civil servants.
They were left out with politicians and the Judiciary.
Their omission at the time, according to a press statement, which was issued by government notified them that there had been an unfortunate delay in the implementation of the salary review exercise. Government in the statement said this regrettable development was necessitated by several factors; among which was the implementation of the Phase II salary adjustment for uniformed forces in the month of September 2025.
“The implementation of Phase II meant that comprehensive and exhaustive consultations on the outcomes of the salary review process could not be completed on time to enable implementation for uniformed forces in the month of October 2025,” reads part of the statement.
It was mentioned that consultants have, however, assured government that the salary review component of the uniformed forces was being finalised, working in consultation with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that a satisfactory outcome was reached.
Subsequent to this, yesterday the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Mthunzi Shabangu, said: “Government is working to ensure that uniformed forces are paid their salary review this month as it was initially communicated, nothing has changed as yet.”
He said the consultants have finalised the salary review report for security forces and are presently finalising consultations with these uniformed forces and Cabinet for endorsement and approval, respectively.
Shabangu said the rates of pay or adjustments will be communicated through the relevant Establishment Circular to be issued once all consultations and approval processes have been exhausted.
He said this in response to a questionnaire which sought to establish if the consultations on the security forces’ salaries had been concluded and if yes, what percentage they were awarded. Shabangu was also asked if not, does it mean they will not get it this month.
Meanwhile, later in the day, the Correctional Services Staff Association issued a statement informing their members about a meeting held yesterday at the HMCS Headquarters. The staff association reported that the meeting was held with the appointed consultants, Emergence Human Capital and Umalusi Partners.
The statement says during the meeting, the consultants presented a report, which comprised two key categories, namely adjustments and allowances. The adjustments ranged between one per cent and 18 per cent. For entry level personnel (Warder II), which are normally recruits, it was recommended two per cent, while Warder I and assistant superintendent, it was recommended that they should be awarded one per cent along with a Warder Instructor.
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Job creation, economic boost: Big projects underway
MBABANE – The economy is projected to strengthen significantly over the coming years, primarily thanks to a massive spending push on major infrastructure projects.
The growth rate is anticipated to average six per cent between 2025 and 2026, driven by a rebound in the services sector and resilient manufacturing.
By 2026, Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg expects this economic expansion to be broad-based, with construction continuing as the main driver.
He said government spending on large-scale, long-term investments, known as capital expenditure, is being used as the main tool to spark economic recovery.
At the half-year mark, he said capital expenditure recorded an execution rate of 48 per cent, amounting to E3.49 billion. This, he said, is a tangible improvement from the E2.93 billion spent during the same period in the previous financial year. This acceleration, Rijkenberg said is seen as a sign of strengthened monitoring and a quicker pace of project implementation.
He said government’s budget for capital projects is projected to average E7.8 billion over the medium-term, growing by an average of 7.9 per cent. The minister said the peak of this spending is expected to hit E8.2 billion in the 2027/28 financial year. This increase, he said, indicates a clear commitment to an infrastructure-led growth strategy and long-term economic transformation for the country.
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Public debt estimated to reach E41.75 billion
MBABANE - The nation’s debt continues its upward climb, with the total public debt stock estimated to reach E41.75 billion by the end of the 2025/26 financial year.
This figure represents 43 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg said the growing debt has serious implications, as the costs of paying interest on loans are taking up an increasing portion of the budget.
He said the debt of Eswatini is split between external debt (money owed to foreign lenders) at E21.54 billion (22 per cent of GDP) and domestic debt (money owed within the country) at E20.21 billion (21 per cent of GDP). The total debt of E41.75 billion is up from E36.03 billion (40.3 per cent of GDP) in the previous financial year.
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Despite reviews, average person still dealing with high prices
MBABANE – The mid-year report confirms that the average person is still dealing with high prices, despite the salary reviews.
Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg said global events, particularly the conflicts in Russia-Ukraine and the Middle East, have increased the global inflation burden.
He said this external pressure on prices is directly felt in Eswatini. He said high regional food and energy prices will continue to put pressure on domestic inflation, which has direct implications for subsidies and the true value of public sector wages.
The report’s inflation forecast has been revised slightly downwards for the short-term, primarily because of a lower inflation outlook in South Africa, which is the main source of finished goods imports.
The annual inflation forecast for 2025 has been marginally revised down to 3.41 per cent. Furthermore, the reduction in multi-year electricity tariffs, announced in March 2025, is also expected to put downward pressure on overall inflation in the future.
However, the moderation in inflation is not a complete solution. While general prices (headline inflation) are expected to be lower, food prices are a stubborn problem. Food inflation remains above target bands, worsened by local factors such as adverse weather. For the future, the forecast for 2026 is still high at 3.92 per cent and 3.70 per cent for 2027.
Domestic revenue collected reaches E7.7bn
MBABANE – Domestic revenue collected at half-year reached E7.7 billion, an improvement, compared to the E7 billion collected at the same time last year.
On the revenue front, Minister for Finance Neal Rijkenberg said government is seeing positive results from its efforts to improve the tax system.
He credited this to efficiencies in collection made by the Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS).
The growth in domestic revenue was largely driven by:
Income Taxes: These remain the largest contributor to domestic revenue. Company Tax, PAYE (Pay As You Earn) and Other Income Tax collections stood at E4.3 billion at the half-year. PAYE alone reached E2.5 billion.
Value-added tax (VAT): This is the second largest source of domestic revenue. VAT collection at half-year totalled E2.8 billion.
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SACU receipts still major contributor
MBABANE – Revenue from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) receipts continues to be a major contributor, amounting to E5.20 billion at mid-year.
Neal Rijkenberg, the Minister for Finance, in his Mid-Term Budget Speech, cautioned that SACU revenues remain volatile and externally determined, which poses a risk to the country’s fiscal stability.
He said the total SACU receipts for the entire 2025/26 financial year are projected at E10.40 billion. Over the medium-term, he said SACU revenues are projected to average E11.3 billion, accounting for around 33 per cent of total revenues.
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Minister for Finance, Neal Rijkenberg. (Courtesy pic)
