Civil servants set to lose allowances in SRC plan

Government workers are set to lose a raft of allowances that will hit their incomes going forward, should an advisory by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) be implemented.

The SRC has recommended the abolition of retreat allowance, sitting allowance for members of institutional internal committees and taskforce allowance payable to members of internal institution taskforce.

The commission has also proposed a review of taskforce allowance and daily subsistence allowance for local travels where payable, that will see more changes in the public service, as part of its latest attempt to contain the ballooning public wage bill.

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The commission wrote to public agencies across the national and county governments on August 7, indicating that the changes are part of the commission’s ongoing initiative to review allowances paid in the public service, that began late 2021.

“The review and advice therefrom is expected to result in equity and transparency in the management of allowances, and guide the government in management of the wage bill,” the letter signed by SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich stated.

It added that the review of allowances was being undertaken in phases where the first phase was completed last year “and the second phase starting with the review of; Retreat Allowance, Sitting Allowance for Institutional Committees, Taskforce Allowance and Daily Subsistence Allowance (Local and Foreign Travel) for public officers.”

The commission is today set to have a press briefing that Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u is expected to attend, to make an announcement it indicated touches on salaries and allowances.

In the letter by SRC to public agencies on Monday, the commission advised that on Retreat Allowance — paid to public officers for participating in special assignments meant to review, develop and produce policy documents away from their workstation — amounts to double compensation, thus recommending its abolition.

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“This is a job responsibility that is factored in determining the relative worth of a job during a job evaluation, the results of which inform the remuneration of a job. Payment of Retreat Allowance, in addition to the basic salary, amounts to double compensation. Consequently, SRC advises that the allowance ceases to be payable for public officers,” the letter stated.

The commission also argued that paying members of institutional internal committees sitting allowance while they still earn salaries also amount to double compensation, thus advising that the allowance should no longer be paid.

SRC made a similar verdict on payment of Taskforce Allowance to members of internal institution taskforce, while guiding that for all other taskforces, “accounting officers shall seek the review and advice by SRC on the payment.”

The commission added that “public officers shall not be paid for more than one taskforce for the same period of time” and that “a taskforce allowance shall be payable to public officers for a maximum of 15 days in a month.”

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Public officers participating in taskforces will be in further dilemma as the commission advises that workers who participate in a taskforce on a full-time basis for more than a month “shall be required to opt for either the taskforce allowance or the monthly salary for the substantive post.”

The commission also recommended payable DSA payable in all cities and towns that range between Sh4,200 to Sh18,200, and requiring that DSA shall not be payable for locations within 50km radius of respective duty stations of the officers affected.