MPs deserve nine-digit salary
Sep 13, 2006
THE alarmists are at it again, castigating MPs as cheats whose only intention is self-aggrandisement. Speakers in churches, lecturer rooms, at funerals and other fora echo the same chorus: The MPs are gluttons; how can they award themselves nine-digit salaries and go ahead to demand sh20b to buy veh
By Nyombi Tembo
THE alarmists are at it again, castigating MPs as cheats whose only intention is self-aggrandisement. Speakers in churches, lecturer rooms, at funerals and other fora echo the same chorus: The MPs are gluttons; how can they award themselves nine-digit salaries and go ahead to demand sh20b to buy vehicles.
Being an MP is a full-time job. Compared to other full-time jobs, this job has two work stations: the constituency and Parliament. The constituency has demands all the time, yet Parliament engages MPs full-time save during recess (Some MPS are asked to remain behind even during recess if their committees have urgent business to handle).
Therefore, one needs to apportion the remuneration of an MP into two: The money that accrue to the MP as take-home and that portion that is necessary to run the office of MP.
From my four-year experience, I see that the office of MP takes more than 70% of one’s total package. Below, I indicate the minimum monthly costs of running the office of MP
Vehicle maintenance, servicing and license – sh600,000
Travel to the constituency
(two trips) – sh1.2m
Maintenance/driver’s pay – sh300,000
Telephone costs to coordinate constituency work – sh800,000
Office hire in the constituency – sh100,000
Office attendant in the constituency –sh200,000,
Stationery and postage – 200,000
Fuel – sh900,000
Constituency responsibilities (social obligations e.g fundraisings and social functions) – sh1.5m. The above totals to sh5.8m, which is 73% of the total monthly package of an MP. Note that I have not included accommodation costs yet sometimes an MP may need to travel at night and a number of MPs have escorts who are paid for by individual MPs.
I know some readers will say that a number of MPs do not spend that much but I will also ask you whether such MPs are effective in their work. Given the above simple analysis, therefore, it should be clear that the package is nothing but money to sustain the office of the MP. Office imprest has never been somebody’s remuneration.
I have heard most people arguing that being an MP should not be looked at as employment. Agreed, that is why in my above analysis I have not included the campaign costs (over sh30m and MPs have never asked anybody to refund such money. We spend all that so that we may get the opportunity to serve our country, but of course this should not mean using our own resources to run these public offices.
Concerning the vehicle scheme for MPs that has added more fire in this debate, I will just state that the office of the MP needs a vehicle to be effective. We may debate the cost of such a vehicle, we may even sensationalize the issue quoting all the poverty indices available in Uganda, but the fact remains that your beloved MP won’t ride on a scooter from Kampala to Budadiri, Kassanda or Moyo.
After giving the MP a vehicle grant, the government does not meet maintenance costs nor does it provide fuel. This is a one-off expenditure given to the individual MP only once in five years. I should emphasise here again that the vehicle given to the MP is for duty facilitation much as the operational costs of the vehicle fall squarely on the individual MP.
We appreciate the fact that in a democratic society like ours, peoples’ representatives are supposed to be “public punch-bags†but you also voted for us to perform specific functions on your behalf, so we need your considerate understanding; You do not expect us to perform these functions without requisite tools. In addition, we are also taxpayers who are mindful of the budget constraints of our country, but we have a task to perform.
Do you expect an MP from Kotido to walk on foot daily to Kampala to legislate? Or if such an MP came to Kampala do you expect him to sleep on the verandah just to show how nationalistic he/she is. Let us be considerate.
The writer is the MP for Kassanda South
THE alarmists are at it again, castigating MPs as cheats whose only intention is self-aggrandisement. Speakers in churches, lecturer rooms, at funerals and other fora echo the same chorus: The MPs are gluttons; how can they award themselves nine-digit salaries and go ahead to demand sh20b to buy vehicles.
Being an MP is a full-time job. Compared to other full-time jobs, this job has two work stations: the constituency and Parliament. The constituency has demands all the time, yet Parliament engages MPs full-time save during recess (Some MPS are asked to remain behind even during recess if their committees have urgent business to handle).
Therefore, one needs to apportion the remuneration of an MP into two: The money that accrue to the MP as take-home and that portion that is necessary to run the office of MP.
From my four-year experience, I see that the office of MP takes more than 70% of one’s total package. Below, I indicate the minimum monthly costs of running the office of MP
Vehicle maintenance, servicing and license – sh600,000
Travel to the constituency
(two trips) – sh1.2m
Maintenance/driver’s pay – sh300,000
Telephone costs to coordinate constituency work – sh800,000
Office hire in the constituency – sh100,000
Office attendant in the constituency –sh200,000,
Stationery and postage – 200,000
Fuel – sh900,000
Constituency responsibilities (social obligations e.g fundraisings and social functions) – sh1.5m. The above totals to sh5.8m, which is 73% of the total monthly package of an MP. Note that I have not included accommodation costs yet sometimes an MP may need to travel at night and a number of MPs have escorts who are paid for by individual MPs.
I know some readers will say that a number of MPs do not spend that much but I will also ask you whether such MPs are effective in their work. Given the above simple analysis, therefore, it should be clear that the package is nothing but money to sustain the office of the MP. Office imprest has never been somebody’s remuneration.
I have heard most people arguing that being an MP should not be looked at as employment. Agreed, that is why in my above analysis I have not included the campaign costs (over sh30m and MPs have never asked anybody to refund such money. We spend all that so that we may get the opportunity to serve our country, but of course this should not mean using our own resources to run these public offices.
Concerning the vehicle scheme for MPs that has added more fire in this debate, I will just state that the office of the MP needs a vehicle to be effective. We may debate the cost of such a vehicle, we may even sensationalize the issue quoting all the poverty indices available in Uganda, but the fact remains that your beloved MP won’t ride on a scooter from Kampala to Budadiri, Kassanda or Moyo.
After giving the MP a vehicle grant, the government does not meet maintenance costs nor does it provide fuel. This is a one-off expenditure given to the individual MP only once in five years. I should emphasise here again that the vehicle given to the MP is for duty facilitation much as the operational costs of the vehicle fall squarely on the individual MP.
We appreciate the fact that in a democratic society like ours, peoples’ representatives are supposed to be “public punch-bags†but you also voted for us to perform specific functions on your behalf, so we need your considerate understanding; You do not expect us to perform these functions without requisite tools. In addition, we are also taxpayers who are mindful of the budget constraints of our country, but we have a task to perform.
Do you expect an MP from Kotido to walk on foot daily to Kampala to legislate? Or if such an MP came to Kampala do you expect him to sleep on the verandah just to show how nationalistic he/she is. Let us be considerate.
The writer is the MP for Kassanda South