President Danny Faure has outlined the urgency of addressing the appropriate amendments to the Public Service Salary Amendment Bill 2019 in a letter addressed to the Speaker of the National Assembly. The letter follows an adjournment in proceedings for the debate on the Bill without proceeding for a vote on Friday 22 March.

The President recalled the preparations that have been undertaken for the review of the salary grid whereby all public service employees are due to receive a 5% increase as of 1 April 2019. In line with the provisions of the Public Service Salary Act of 2013, a review of the salary should be done every five years. A committee was tasked in January 2018 to assess the need for a salary increment and make recommendations to Government. Their subsequent report recommended a 5% increase and this recommendation was adopted by the Cabinet of Ministers on 18 July 2018. Accordingly the increment was included in the proposed budget for 2019 and was duly debated and approved by the National Assembly.

The President noted that this salary increase for public service workers is a commitment based on a law which is already in force, and based on a budget which has already been approved. He called on the National Assembly to conclude the vote on the Bill so that the law, once approved, could be assented to ahead of the 1 April target.