Civil service reduced

At long last, there seems to be some headway in reducing the country’s bureaucracy. The size of the civil service has been reduced by 6 941 posts from last year’s 91 497 to 84 556 according to figures provided in the current government estimates of expenditure.

The total wage bill, including that of the uniformed services whose strength is not disclosed, is however, expected to go up by $420.5 million to $3.8 billion although there may be a saving of $65.1 million.

Finance Minister, Bernard Chidzero, said savings may not be immediately apparent because of lumpsum payments of pensions and other benefits for those retrenched.

Last year it was estimated that there would be a total saving of $54.6 million but this did not materialise. Instead the estimated wage bill increased from an estimated $3.2 billion to $3.4 billion.

Education and the uniformed services accounted for more than 75 percent of the total wage bill drawing more than $2.6 billion. Education alone accounts for more than 55 percent of the total civil service with 107 205 posts.

Civil servants are supposed to earn about $3.4 billion in the current financial year with $412.4 million in allowances.

Although salaries in the civil service are reported to be very low, they accounted for more than 28 percent of last ear’s budget. Salaries and wages at a typical large multi-national company, which are reported to be very high, only account for 16 percent of its budget, with 39 percent reserved for dividends and 41 percent for expansion.

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