MASERU — The government has withdrawn a gazette dealing with ministers and legislators’ pensions because of errors.
The gazette, issued on May 22, was dealing with pensions and benefits for MPs, the prime minister and ministers.
The Public Service principal secretary, Tsukutlane Au, said the gazette had to be withdrawn because it had serious errors.
For example, the gazette said: “A member (MP) is entitled to a pension of 80 percent of his or her salary after serving at least two terms, the aggregate of which is a minimum of five years.”
This, Au said, was wrong.
Au said the government was now working on another gazette which will give a correct indication of those benefits.
“That gazette had errors so it was withdrawn. We are in the process of coming up with another one which will give a correct version,” he said.
Au would not say when the gazette will come out but he indicated it will be soon.
The Lesotho Times is however aware that the withdrawn gazette is being sold and distributed by Government Printers.
Copies are still available at the printers.
But had that gazette taken effect it was likely to cause a public outcry because of the hefty pensions purportedly given to MPs.
It would have meant that a retired MP would have been getting a pension of M16 335 every month, which translates to a staggering M96 020 per annum.
According to the withdrawn gazette, an MP would be paid a yearly salary of M245 028 which would make it M20 419 a month.
The gazette indicated a minister and the National Assembly speaker’s salaries would be M345 888 a year. This would make it M28 824 a month.
President of the Senate, leader of the opposition, assistant minister and deputy speaker of the National Assembly would get M288 264 as an annual salary.
The prime minister would be paid M432 360 while his deputy would get M360 324 in a year.
Au said there was nothing wrong with these figures because they factored in the percentage of salary increase given to all government employees for this fiscal year.
He however said there were other errors in the gazette that needed to be rectified.
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