Africa-Press – Eswatini. With just hours left before thousands of civil servants receive their long-awaited salary adjustments, Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg has issued heartfelt and practical advice, urging public servants to celebrate responsibly and manage their finances prudently.
Speaking during a Finance in Focus briefing, Rijkenberg disclosed government’s full support for the salary review exercise, describing it as “a long-overdue and professionally executed reform” that ensures fair and equitable compensation across the public service.
“We believe the salary review was necessary and done very professionally,” he said. “Civil servants serve the nation, and they deserve to be compensated correctly for their services.”
The new salary structure, which takes effect on Monday, addresses long-standing anomalies where promotions sometimes resulted in lower pay. The Minister confirmed that Treasury department had been “working overtime” to ensure payments were processed on time.
However, Rijkenberg cautioned that the wage review will place temporary pressure on the national budget, increasing the wage bill from around E800 million to nearly E1 billion. Despite these fiscal challenges, he emphasized government’s commitment to sustaining the adjustment responsibly.
“We’ll have to make cuts in other areas to fit the salary review, but we’ll manage,” he assured. “We’re confident that even though things will be tight, we’ll make it through.”
The Minister highlighted that Eswatini has made progress in managing public expenditure over the past seven years, reducing the wage bill’s share of total spending from 42% to 32%. With the new review, this will rise to around 36% —still within manageable levels.
Turning personal, Rijkenberg offered financial wisdom to all public servants about to experience salary increases averaging above 20 percent.
“I’d highly advise that we live within our means,” he said. “This is an ideal time to reset our spending patterns, reduce debts, and make sure our loans don’t eat up more than a third of our income.”
He urged workers to resist the lure of “Shylocks and unnecessary loans”, calling instead for disciplined budgeting and long-term financial planning.
“Let’s all use this opportunity to live better within our means,” Rijkenberg concluded, expressing optimism that the review will usher in renewed motivation and dignity among civil servants, a positive step toward national growth and stability.
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
