By: Binta Jaiteh
The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Seedy Keita, has said that the increase in personal emoluments is due to an average increase of 30% in the salaries of the core civil service.
The 2025 budget estimates were laid before the House on Friday and lawmakers have begun dissecting it before its final adoption.
Finance minister Keita told lawmakers that the projected increase in personnel emolument expenditures from the approved figure of D7.39 billion for 2024 to D8.93 billion in 2025 is largely driven by the projected D1.54 billion impact from the proposed increase in salaries and the increase of transport and residential allowances.
He outlined that the transport and house rent allowances will be increased from D1, 500 to D3, 000 and from D1,700 to D3, 500 respectively. These increases in allowances, he went on, will apply to grades 1-8 under the integrated pay scale of the civil service.
“Similarly, the Government is proposing to increase the tax exemption threshold from D24, 000 to D36, 000. This 2025 salary increment will make a total salary increase of 60% from 2022 to 2025. And it will bring the total salary increase to 110%,’’said minister Keita. He added:“Total expenditure and net lending are projected to increase by 22%, rising from D26.52 billion in 2022 to D32. 30 billion in 2025. It is worth noting that the figure excludes foreign and domestic amortizations, which when added yield the appropriation amount of D37.84 billion.The increase in total expenditure is driven by increases in other expenditure which is expected to increase from D21.13 billion to D26.12billion; this is as a result of the increase in the projected personnel emoluments, used goods and services, subsidies and transfers and capital, which are expected to increase by 21%, 30%, 29% and 11%, respectively.’’