Administrative clerks, personal assistants and other “non critical” government positions are being slashed by the thousand by provinces, in an effort to contain the government’s spending pressures.Critical skills positions like doctors and teachers will not be affected.
This is contained in this year’s budget review document, presented by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, who delivered his budget speech yesterday, which focussed mainly on the economy.
Speaking before delivering his speech, Gordhan said the size of the public service played a significant part in the growing of expenditure.
“All we’re saying in respect of the size of the salary bill is that it’s quite a significant part of the overall expenditure envelope that we work with,” Gordhan said.
“So you have two pressures on the expenditure envelope and a significantly large wage will and growing interest bill on our debt.” According to budget documents, the share of provincial budgets allocated to salaries increases to 61% over the next three years.
It states that the share of provincial budgets spent on areas other than wages was declining.
“To manage compensation pressures, provinces have been reducing the number of staff employed,” it reads.
The total number of staff in provinces decreased from 920826 in 2012, to just under 900000 at the end of last year.
Gordhan said what was announced was done after consultation with Public Service and Administration Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi
“In relation to provinces, the numbers seem to indicate that they’re doing very well. Some of them have locked the persal system (payroll), meaning you can’t get new people on.
“Some of them are still discovering ghosts .”
He said civil servants can also take early retirement whenever it suited them.
Thousands of job cuts in provinces
Critical skills positions like doctors and teachers will not be affected.
This is contained in this year’s budget review document, presented by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, who delivered his budget speech yesterday, which focussed mainly on the economy.
Speaking before delivering his speech, Gordhan said the size of the public service played a significant part in the growing of expenditure.
“All we’re saying in respect of the size of the salary bill is that it’s quite a significant part of the overall expenditure envelope that we work with,” Gordhan said.
“So you have two pressures on the expenditure envelope and a significantly large wage will and growing interest bill on our debt.” According to budget documents, the share of provincial budgets allocated to salaries increases to 61% over the next three years.
It states that the share of provincial budgets spent on areas other than wages was declining.
“To manage compensation pressures, provinces have been reducing the number of staff employed,” it reads.
The total number of staff in provinces decreased from 920826 in 2012, to just under 900000 at the end of last year.
Gordhan said what was announced was done after consultation with Public Service and Administration Minister Ngoako Ramatlhodi
“In relation to provinces, the numbers seem to indicate that they’re doing very well. Some of them have locked the persal system (payroll), meaning you can’t get new people on.
“Some of them are still discovering ghosts .”
He said civil servants can also take early retirement whenever it suited them.
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