The federal government on Thursday express its readiness to reduce the high cost of recurrent expenditure in the annual budget by reviewing the salary structure of all public servants in the country.
The Secretary to the government of the federation, Anyim Pius-Anyim who inaugurated a committee that will review the salaries of all public servants said the “current situation is not healthy for the public service in particular and the country in Nigeria.”
“The mandate of the committee is to examine the proliferation of different salary structures in the public service in the federation and advice government on how to develop a harmonised salary structure on the basis of reasonable relativities in the grading of the remunerations,” he said.
Mr Anyim said that it is expected that at the end of the committee’s assignment, “there will be a progressive reduction in recurrent expenditure in favour of more resourceful allocations for the annual capital budget with a view to sustaining the economy on the path of growth and development.”
Mr Anyim said the committee have three weeks to examine the salary structure of public servants and see how the wide gaps in salaries can be adjusted.
The harmonization of salaries in the federal civil service is expected to reduce the strain of recurrent expenditure and produce an acceptable public salary structure.
Analysts have criticised the heavy allocation of 72 per cent on recurrent expenditure in this year’s budget in the face of dilapidating infrastructure and increasing poverty rates.
Responding to the planned review of the salaries of public servants, the head of service of the federation, Isa Bello Sali commended the government for taking the initiative to harmonise the salary structure in the country.
“What this initiative seeks to achieve is to ensure that going forward, we have a situation whereby the various salary structures are harmonised for industrial harmony for peace in the workforce and also progress in our nation,” he said.
