Lekhetho Ntsukunyane
THE Ministry of Public Service says Members of Parliament (MPs) did not get salary increments last month as purported by some media outlets.
Addressing a press briefing in Maseru on Friday, the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Lucy Borotho, said there was a “lot of confusion” following the issuing of a government gazette on 8 December 2015 dealing with salary increments for MPs.
She said the six percent increment announced in the gazette was effected for the public service in April last year, at the beginning of the 2015/2016 financial year.
“We are here to clarify the issue of the gazette which was released last month and dealing with the salaries of government officials who hold statutory positions and MPs,” Ms Borotho said.
“The gazette was delayed, which resulted in a lot of confusion, with some media houses misleading the people since they thought the salaries were increased last month. However, the delayed gazette was just meant to formalise the salary increments which the officials were already earning.”
The ministry’s Remuneration and Benefits Director, ’Mantolo Makoae, chipped in saying the public servants received the increments in July as a lump sum following the presentation of budgetary allocations by Finance Minister ’Mamphono Khaketla on 22 May 2015.