#2020BUDGET: Grade A civil servants the majority, rake in 67% of salaries

By T. Roble

Directors and managers in the Public Service will gobble up 67% of salaries allocated to government employees this year, the newly released national budget indicates.

The Appropriations Act 2020 indicates Grade A employees most of whom play managerial roles form the bulk of the civil service amounting to 2,500 out of the total 5402. In the 2020 Budget, this cadre of staff will go home with $22,482,180 out of a total of $34,725,636.

The bulk of the government bureaucracy-Grade B and C combined do not add up to those of Grade A. Grade B is made up of 1,401 staff while those in Grace C amount to 1012. Grade D staff number 489.

Staff in Grade B will in total earn $7,021,800 while those in C will take home $4,043,160 and Grade D-$1,278,496.

Non-civil servants amount to 331 with a majority (178) in Grade A have been allocated $10.7 million but most of the allocation covers arrears.

Staff Distribution in Government

Administrative and oversight arms of government which include the Office of the President, PM, Office of Parliament, Finance, Judiciary and Auditor General among others constitute the bulk of civil servants amounting to 2,923 with majority (1,392) in Grade A.

This is followed by economic sectors which include Ministries of Water and Energy, Postal and Telecommunications, Information, Ports and Trade having a total of 1,733 staff and again, most of them fall under Grade A (1,733).

The least populated sectors of government are Defence and Security (155) and Social Sectors- Education, Health, Youth and Sports amounting to 591. In both sectors, majority of the staff fall under Grade A.

The Disciplined Forces

Salaries for the military amount to $81,064,240 with the highest paid soldier being a Major General who goes home with $1,200 per month. According to the Budget report, there are 7 Majors General in the SNA. Privates receive a monthly salary of $170 and food stipend of $30 per month. The 20,668 privates will in total receive $48.6 million.

There are five Majors General in the police each earning same salaries as their opposites in the military while the lowest ranked officer- Private-Third Inspector earns similar as a Private in the military ($170) and $30 for food.

There are 2,112 police officers covered in the national budget all of which are allocated $42 million for salaries, food and operating costs.

The budget also caters for orphans from the police who amount to 1,557 and are allocated $200 as salaries and food stipends. In the military, there are 2,083 orphans who receive the same monthly compensations as those in the police.

The intelligence agency, NISA whose number of officers is not indicated has been allocated $14.5million with total monthly salaries of $552,950.

Senior officers in the Prisons Department are highest paid within the disciplined forces. A Lieutenant General which is one according to the budget earns a monthly salary of $5,000 while his immediate-Major General earns the same monthly salary as their opposites in the police and military-$1,200.

Custodial officers who amount to 2112 have in total been allocated $8.6 million adding up to $146 million annual spending for the disciplined forces.