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EXCLUSIVE: Cabinet proposes 25% pay cut for civil servants in a bid to trim public wage bill

Storyline:National News

Cabdulaahi Maxamed NuurSalaries for all civil servants including senior government officials among them the president will soon be deducted by up to 25% if a cabinet proposal is approved by parliament, Goobjoog News can authoritatively reveal.

In a candid interview with Goobjoog News, finance Minister Abdullahi Mohamed Noor revealed the cabinet had drafted a raft of measures aimed at cutting public spending and promoting fiscal discipline in public finance management.

“Drawing from best practices and informed by an overarching need to manage our public wage bill, the cabinet, chaired by the president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has unanimously agreed to impose pay cuts for all public civil servants and other senior government officials starting with the president,’’ said Noor.

The minister said if approved by parliament, all public servants will have their salaries deducted by 25% while the president, senior judiciary staff and members of parliament will have to make do with a salary cut of 18%.’

Ministers earn an average salary of $5000 per month.

In its bid to further trim public spending, the cabinet is proposing a 30% slash off all government spending including travel allowances which largely remain unaccounted for in the government annual budget.

However, to cushion public servants from severe economic strain as a result of the expected cut, cabinet is proposing regularized salaries meaning that public servants do not have to go without salaries at any given month. There were long queues in the central bank last week when the government released salaries for civil servants after four month delay.

Mohamud said the government will not however impose any cut on salaries for all security agencies including the military.

Travel allowances

The minister did not however disclose how much the public wage bill is nor travel allowances which have remained a thorny issue among members of the public. There have been concerns that senior government officials and members of parliament have been notorious for drawing huge allowances for travel abroad, some of which hardly add to public good.

The minister was however categorical that his ministry had zero tolerance for corruption noting that despite public fears that government ministries were ridden with graft practices, his ministry had only recorded three cases of financial improprieties, the highest amount in question at $50. The ministry of finance has a staff of 500.

Goobjoog News