Govt seeks sh900b for salary enhancement  

The public service ministry is in talks with their counterparts in the finance ministry over allocation of at least sh450b to enhance salaries of public servants who were not catered for in the budget.

The ministry had included enhancement of 40%, in the current financial year budget, but according to public service minister Muruli Mukasa, due to a shortage of funds, the idea was shelved.

Muruli Mukasa said what they have been able to achieve was an enhancement of salaries for only the Judiciary and commitment for public universities. 

The minister made the comments on Tuesday during the opening of a two-day strategic peer mentoring and capacity building training for directors and commissioners and alumni of the Civil Service College Uganda at its headquarters in Jinja. 

The public service ministry last week released a new salary structure indicating an increment for medical and judicial officers for the financial year that began on July 1.

The July circular standing instruction of the 2019/2020 salary structure distribution signed by the ministry's permanent secretary Catherine Bitarakwate, indicates that the country's wage bill will be sh4.6 trillion, up from sh4.2 trillion in 2018/19.

Muruli Mukasa said the recent salary enhancement left out many civil servants, including directors and commissioners who were not happy that they had been ignored.

"The enhancements left out the others who have not been included in the current budget. But we have been having discussions finance ministry. If we get sh900b or half of the money, we could be able to enhance salaries of other public servants," he said.