Uganda: Still civil service payment delays &missing funds for the EC ++

Now again, I will address the matters of civil servants salaries in Uganda. There are still issues with withholding pay for certain groups of society. Like in Kibale District 85 persons we’re affected by this. Electoral Commission is missing money. The good news is that teachers are promised Ush50.000 hike in pay. Last but not least the loans for civil service are back on after been suspended for a while.

In Kibale district there been issues of non-paid civil servant staff. The state hasn’t paid 85. In June it was up to 200 who were affected by the same matter. Human Resources Officer Vincent Kyaligonza says “only 85 out of a total amount of 3200 servants have not been cleared to seek assistance from the CAO’s Office” (ChimpReports, 2014).

The Electoral Commission where recent comments have been made before the next general election in 2016. That Dr. Badru Kiggundu fears this “Salaries for our technical staff have remained stagnant since 1999. This has continued to erode the morale of staff. Through this committee, I appeal to Government for special consideration regarding this dire disparity because increased adjustments were made for all other public servants” (…)”This has put us in a danger of losing our capable and experienced staff and we may not conduct free and fair elections. The commission may not also be able to attract and maintain competent personnel in order to deliver its mandate because of this. In the recent salary revision, increment was only accorded to specified officers and the technical staff was not considered”. The other issue is the budget for the election. Wage bills is set to be sh16.5b this financial year, there is only been given sh8.2b, this means that there is missing sh8.3b. Kiggundu says: “We project to have 30,000 polling stations during 2016 elections and the costs  of each voter verification system to be deployed per polling station is approximately $1,000 (about 2.6m) excluding logistics, training, hire of expertise and other concurrent costs” (Kashaka, 2014).

Director of Operation in the Electoral Commission Leonard Mulekwa says: “This is since these councils and committees form electoral colleges for election of Members of Parliamentary and Councillors representing these special interest groups in parliament and local government councils due between February 12 and March 13, 2016” (…)”This period is crowded in the field to permit election activities of Youth, PWDs and older Persons committee to run concurrently and smoothly. Therefore it is logistically prudent to complete these elections before commencing on the presidential and other polls” (Kashaka, 2014).

Good news:

Certain teachers in the level of Primary school can expect a pay-raise up to 25 % that will be in effect by this month. The lowest pay of a school teacher will now be at shs279.145. Minister of Education Jessica Alupo says: “The increment for teachers’ salaries was provided as promised. The ministry of Finance and Economic Planning factored the increment into the MTEF (Mid-Term Expenditure Framework) where the wage component for primary increased by Shs202 billion from Shs619.68 billion in 2013/2014 to Shs822.07 billion in 2014/2015,” (Nalugo, 2014).

Good News II:

After describing earlier how the government of Uganda suspended loans to their teachers. There is now opened for trade again. Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi says: “The control enforcing a maximum of 50% for payroll deductions per individual will be activated on the integrated personnel and payroll system”. Uganda National Teachers Union (UNTU) Spokesman James Tweheyo says also: “The revision of the policy means a lot to us. Most public officers survive on loans” (New Vision, 2014).

Peace.

Links:

Chimreports – ‘Kibaale Civil Servants Miss July Salary’ (11.08.2014) Link: http://chimpreports.com/?p=2150

 

Kashaka, Umaru – ‘2016 polls: Kiggundu decries lack of funds’ (06.08.2014) Link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658450-2016-polls-kiggundu-decries-lack-of-funds.html

 

Nalugo, Mercy – ‘Primary teachers’ salaries increased by Shs 50,000’ (06.08.2014) Link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Primary-teachers–salaries-increased-by-Shs-50-000/-/688334/2409532/-/36j37vz/-/index.html

 

New Vision – ‘Government lifts ban on salary loans’ (03.08.2014) Link: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/658331-government-lifts-ban-on-salary-loans.html

Uganda – Civil Service Payment issues again(!!)

Well, I am back at it again. Since this civil service payments isn’t going after schedule or planning. Therefore innocent and humble, working hard people isn’t getting their decent salaries on time. Which is by all standards is a shame; we have heard all kind of excuses by the leaders and gents of the Government. The Government which is entailed to pay its employees for it services. And after the saga of the magnificent payments structure in the Statehouse and the people around the President Museveni, we should have seen another picture. But it just seems to show how much it matters and why they can make it so slow for decent folks. Here is the latest on the issue:

Promise Civil Service pay by the end of September:

Muhakanizi comments on recent delayed civil service salaries: “releasing funds and budgeting well”, also have issues with “planning” and their inefficiency with following “procurement guidelines”. Muhakanizi continues: “Was finance releasing funds and budgeting well? The answer is no. And why was the release of funds poor?” (…)”We [finance] were releasing funds every month, but no one can budget basing on one month, it’s unacceptable and it was wrong”. He promised that the pay will now be cleared by “end of September”. Muhakanizi follows it up: “Teachers must teach people must get their titles from the [ministry of] Lands, the Judiciary must deliver justice in a timely manner” (…)”Those people who always ask for supplementary [funds] know themselves, but I refused to cut development expenditures for consumption purposes and if anyone does it, it must be rejected “(Walusimbi, 2014).

By the same statement to New Vision Muhanizi said: “If salary arrears are not paid by September, then call me a liar” (Mulundo, 2014)

Joseph Ssewungu the Kalungu West MP says to all this: “ want to tell Keith [Muhakanizi] that you will not pay teachers by September because you promised before, to send payment vouchers to all districts on top of clearing all the salary arrears by June, but up to now, nothing has been done. But you can promise for the sake of making us happy” (Walusimbi, 2014).

Important Pay scales for civil service employees like teachers:

Senior School Principal: 1,687,000Ush.

Education Assistant Grade III: 230,000Ush.

By now this has just gotten 25% increase.

At Makerere University:

Lecture: 1,600,00Ush.

Professors: 700,000Ush per month.

(Ssemogerere, 2014)

Henry Banyenzaki Rubanda West MP is worried because when in Kabale District where 8000 pupils went up for PLE (Primary Level Examination) last year alone, and then only 412 passed this level (Editorial Monitor, 2014).

Uganda National Teachers Union (UNTU) has denounced Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA). This happens because the default failing on the salaries up to 30%. Schools on the secondary level are also feeling like a side project (KFM, 2014).

Uganda – Outtakes from Budget Speech 2014/2015 – Teachers’ salaries:  

“Priorities to be implemented include the enhancement of Teachers’ salaries, with emphasis on Primary School Teachers. Shs 215bn has been allocated for this purpose. I have also provided Shs. 5 billion towards supporting Teachers’ SACCOs, in addition to the Shs. 2.5 billion provided during this year”.

That’s all I got on the matter today!

Peace

Links:

Editorial Monitor.co.ug – ‘Govt should fulfill teachers’ manifesto’ (25.07.2014) Link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Editorial/Govt-should-fulfill-teachers–manifesto/-/689360/2396382/-/6lba5u/-/index.html

Mulondo, Moses – ‘The Secretary to the treasury Keith Muhakanizi has promised that all salary arrears for civil servants will be paid by September’ (24.07.2014) Link: http://ehabari.com/uganda-to-pay-all-salary-arrears-by-september/

KFM – ‘Science teachers attack KCCA over pay’ (23.07.2014) Link: http://kfm.co.ug/news/science-teachers-attack-kcca-over-pay.html

Ssemogerere, Karoli – ‘There has to be a way of sorting out teachers pay issue’ (24.07.2014) Link: http://www.monitor.co.ug/OpEd/Commentary/There-has-to-be-a-way-of-sorting-out-teachers-pay-issue/-/689364/2394918/-/item/0/-/10l1x6ez/-/index.html

Walusimbi, Deo – ‘Uganda: Muhakanizi Explains Poor Govt Services’ (27.07.2014) Link: http://allafrica.com/stories/201407281639.html