By: Nyima Sillah
A few months after the National Assembly approved a 30% salary increment for Civil Servants effective from July 2022, the majority of the civil servants are bemoaning of imbalance and none fulfilment of the government’s promise, especially since not every government institution is benefiting from the 30% salary increment.
The Majority of these civil servants have expressed total dismay over the 30% salary increment saying allowances increment could have been far better than the 30% salary increment which is not benefiting everyone.
Speaking to some civil servants, on Thursday, Molamin Jallow, a Teacher said: the 30% salary increment does not make any difference. “Allowance increment could have been better because the allowance is non-taxable but salaries are taxable. How can they increase 30% and increase our tax?” he asked rhetorically.
He explained that with the 30% when you pay tax, you are left with four hundred or even seven hundred depending on what you earn as a basic salary. Adding that, some Civil Servants earn D1500 or less than that as a basic salary. “So if you calculate that, it does not make any difference,” he stressed.
Another Civil servant from one of the Ministries said the only difference is D300. “In every thousand, D300 is added D300 x 3 is nine hundred. It is like those who received a basic salary of D1, 200 will have likely D325 those receiving D2000, will receive D2,600. The high profile people get more while those below are still suffering, we prefer allowance increment.”
On the contrary, Tanka Tanka Matron, Omar Bojang, “When the 30% increment happened, usually the ones that are directly under the Ministry of Health or other Ministries get their 30% increment. But for the ones that are under the board, in terms of salary, the subvention is given to them.
“I understand that salary subvention when the increments of 30% were made, the 30% was not done there so they were not able to pay their staff because the money has to come from the Ministry so as Tanka Tanka which is under EFSTH, and we are also not receiving it.”
Meanwhile, Bojang said he has not been receiving some of his other allowances for over one year that was promised during the nurse strike. He added that allowance or salary increment issue is not something new to them.
More stories on this will follow as many institutions are lamenting that the 30% is not reflecting on their salaries talk-less of receiving.
However, it is very clear and noted that not everyone recognized as Civil Servants understand that “the 30% basic salary increment only covers the civil servants (Ministries and Departments) as well as subvented hospitals under the Ministry of Health and subvented schools under the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.”
But the understanding of the Civil Servants is the approval of a 30% increment, “this needs more sensitization for some of the Civil Servants to understand or know that there are clarifications as to those who can benefit from it or not affected,” explained by one of the Journalists who wishes to remain anonymous.
