Why we should learn to separate MPs pay from costs

By Chris Obore

A lot is still talked about pay for MPs. Some have even theatrically claimed that Uganda's MPs are the most well paid in the world. The worst is that some claim legislators are paid for doing nothing.

Some civil society activists have made it a song that the MPs are the cause of the huge public administration expenditure even when evidence shows that for the past 17 years, Parliament gets only 1.7% of the national budget allocation.

This figure is readily available for whoever cares to verify. In some countries, parliament gets at least 5 per cent of the budget.

I am still doing a study on how different MPs on the African continent are remunerated.  Information is a bit hard to get but soon I will be done.

However, last year, the research of the National Institute for Legislative Studies in UK, did a cross country comparison of legislators' salaries and allowances. While the study involved mainly Europe and the US, three African countries were also studied i.e. Tanzania, Nigeria and Kenya.

According to the study, a Tanzanian legislator earns a basic salary of $84,000 (about sh302.4m) annually making it sh25.2m monthly. In addition to the basic pay, a Tanzanian MP gets $133,200 (sh479.5m) in annual allowances making it Shs39.9million monthly. Salary plus allowances gives a Tanzanian MPs a monthly package of sh65.1m. They also get $13,761 (about sh49.5m) annually as Constituency Development Fund.

On the other hand, a Kenyan MPs gets an annual basic salary of US $61,964 (about sh223m) a monthly pay of UGShs18.5million. The MP also gets $111,585 (about sh 401.7m) in allowances annually making its UGShs33.4million monthly.

Allowances plus salary gives a Kenyan MP a monthly package of sh51.9m. The Kenyan MP also gets $794,464 (about sh2.8b) annually as Constituency Development Fund.

A Nigerian Senator gets an annual basic pay of $10,132 plus annual allowances of $174,829.

For the advanced economies, the paper shows the pay is way above what African economies pay. That is of course obvious.  A Ugandan legislator earns sh11.18m basic pay per month which when taxed comes to between Shs6million to sh8m.  Yet some people even imagine MPs or anyone else who works with government, do not pay taxes.  To them only those who don't work in government are taxpayers!

Some people have described our MPs as the most expensive in the world even when figures show the contrary.

In most countries, each MP also has at least three personal assistants paid for by the government to help them in research and constituency work.

However, the comparison is not enough. I have brought it up to demonstrate the argument that our MPs are the best paid and are, therefore; responsible for pushing the public administration costs high, is more sentimental than factual.

The purpose of this article is to draw our attention to the core issue; the confusion between pay for our MPs and the costs and expenses related to doing parliamentary work. It is deceitful to consider the costs of parliamentary work as earnings for MPs.

Fuel, car, per diem and other allowances paid to an MP or any other worker to execute their duties is not an income but a cost to the one who requires the services of the person they are hiring. It is only in Uganda where you give an employee an allowance to pay for accommodation and food while on duty and tax the same as an income.

It is a disservice to our democracy if the pay for MPs is perpetually an issue of contention. Such controversy damages public confidence in parliament and makes the work of MPs challenging. Such a country will expend energies in talk with no action.

The importance of the job of an MP is often overlooked but it should be recognised. Regardless of how you view it, there is no country without politicians.  They sit at the summit of our democracy. We must record and respect that fact.

The issue of pay should be addressed objectively.  How and to what extent should we use comparisons with other occupations in setting MPs pay? Should MPs' pay be linked to their status or standing in the community? What is affordable and how far should pay be affected by public opinion and confidence in parliament?

We must accept that the job of an MP is a unique one. Many tools used in determining pay for other professionals are not readily applicable when determining pay for politicians.  For instance, do you have data on recruitment and retention of MPs? Is there a clear job description for an MP or politician for that matter?

What are the specific key results areas? Do politicians have to undergo training or gain a qualification to become who they are? Do they have annual performance reviews completed by their line managers? Who are the line managers?

The difficulty in answering the above questions is what makes the work of an MP unique.  So when we say that we need professionalism in politics, we mean it in the sense of commitment to high standards of performance, ethics, public service and accountability.

It should not mean a professional class of people whose only experience and preoccupation is politics. Therefore, the remuneration of MPs should care for a wide range of backgrounds including people with careers and experience elsewhere who should be made to feel they can enter and leave politics in the course of their professional lives.

That is what we should pay attention to when debating pay for MPs. The fundamental principle is that the pay for MPs should be modern, transparent, fair, sustainable and treats MPs as people with diverse backgrounds doing a unique job. Right thinking citizens should not simply listen to those who without basic facts shout loudest against MPs or those who have particular interests to promote.

To those who know the facts but choose not to believe them, must be asked to explain whose agenda they are pursuing.

The writer is the director of communication and public affairs of the Parliament of Uganda