23 Oct 2024

The Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM) anticipates to implement the proposed fan-shaped salary structure next year, after completion of consultations and other processes.

The salary structure aims  to address productivity and progression of public sector employees.

Speaking during a media consultative meeting in Gaborone on Tuesday, DPSM director, Ms Gaone Macholo explained that the new structure would have broad salary scales of more notches compared to the current scales of 10 notches or less.

She said the broad scales would prevent stagnation of employees and reward good performers as they would be able to move continuously up the notches without reaching the ceiling quickly.

Ms Macholo said consultations with relevant stakeholders including labour organisations were progressing smoothly.

She said the idea of a fan-shaped salary structure started in 2018 after government engaged some consultants, commonly referred to as PEMANDU, to review and make recommendations on how the public service structure could be improved.

Ms Macholo further noted that in 2022 the DPSM reached an agreement with workers’ unions to implement the recommendations the PEMANDU consultants.

“There were many employees who have reached the top notch and have nowhere to progress because there were limited posts for promotion to the upper scales, therefore, the fan-shaped salary structure will prevent stagnation," she said.

Ms Macholo however, emphasised that progression of employees through the notches would be based on good performance.

DPSM Compensation and Benefits officer, Ms Olebogeng Yane, pointed that the current pay structure which was developed in 1988 was too old and required to be modernised.

Ms Yane said the new fan-shaped structure would help to motivate employees and improve performance.

Manual Workers Union consultant, Dr Johnson Motshwarakgole pointed out that further consultations were still required between workers’ unions and DPSM on some issues relating to the fan-shaped structure.

He also called for more training in public service to improve performance.

Furthermore he spoke against nepotism in the workplace, adding that employees should be promoted on the basis of good performance. Ends