Salaries team defends Sh187m plan

PHOTO | FILE Salaries and Remuneration Commission chairperson Sarah Serem (right) during a past briefing.

What you need to know:

  • Project seeks to find ways of reducing the wage bill
  • The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) said the National Treasury was involved in making decision.
  • Dubbed the wage bill project, the forum is structured in four phases from January through June.

The salaries commission has defended its request for Sh187 million to fund a project to collect views on ways to reduce the wage bill.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) said the National Treasury was involved in making decision.

The commission, however, said it would go ahead with the project even if its allocation is slashed by Sh100 million as MPs make changes to the Supplementary Budget.

CRITICISED REQUEST

Members of the Finance and Budget committees have reportedly criticised the SRC’s request for Sh187 million to fund the four-phase project to develop ideas on how to tackle the wage bill.

The Treasury has allocated the commission Sh170 million in the Supplementary Budget for the project.

“The commission is not working alone and consulted with various government offices including National Treasury to see how best to implement the activities,” SRC said in response to questions by the Nation.

When they met the SRC behind closed doors on Thursday last week, members of the Budget and Appropriations Committee were reported to have been alarmed by the commission’s request yet its principal aim is to reduce recurrent expenditure.

Budget Committee chairman Mutava Musyimi told MPs last week he would present the team’s recommendations in a report on the mini-budget on Tuesday.

“The Commission is determined to carry on with its plans to hold the debates and all the activities it has lined up. We cannot afford postponing it,” the SRC said.

In the House last Thursday, Mavoko MP Patrick Makau spoke of legislators’ jitters that their salaries could again become the subject of national debate.

“Today I was very happy with the chairman of Budget when we saw the SRC asking to Sh170 million to do a conference to talk wage bill. This is promoting again the debate on MPs’ salaries,” he said.

Dubbed the wage bill project, the forum is structured in four phases from January through June.