Stories by Lwazi Dlamini
The new Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini will be entitled to furniture at his government-owned or designated residence amounting to E1 million for the duration of the 12th Parliament.
The Deputy Prime Minister is also entitled to furniture not exceeding E800 000. According to the Finance Circular No.2 of 2023, which was issued on August 8, 2023, this is a once-off benefit for the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, for the duration of the 12th Parliament.
“Should the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister exhaust this capped limit, the purchase of any additional furniture will be at their personal expense. Inventories of all furnishings and accessories purchased by Government in Government-owned residences and or designated residences shall be kept by the relevant ministry,” part of Article 3.2 of the circular reads in part.
The circular also states that the soft furniture will be given to the departing Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister if they are not re-appointed into Office. “The hard furniture will be auctioned off with the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister having the first option to purchase it at the current carrying value, provided the political office bearer is not re-appointed to office,” part of the circular reads in part.
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The circular states that in the event the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister is re-appointed into office, he will continue to use the purchased furniture. “However, if he finds that some of the hard and/or soft furniture brought in the previous term has become redundant, the Controlling Officer should make the necessary arrangements to have the article (s) removed and the inventories amended accordingly.
Any replacements will be done in terms of the ceilings set for the 12th Parliament,” the circular reads in part. It also that in the event the Prime Minister of Deputy Prime Minister fails to fully serve a full-term in office, due to death, the soft furniture shall be transferred to the estate of the Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister and the hard furniture shall be sold to the estate of the late Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister, at the carrying value assessed in consultation with the Controller of Government Stores.
The Finance Circular No.2 of 2023, which was put together by the Mvuselelo Fakudze-led Royal Commission, looks into the terms and conditions of service for parliamentarians, designated office bearers, and the attorney general for the 12th Parliament. It was out at a time when the country was faced with a combination of domestic, regional and global challenges.
. . . E51 104.83 SETTLING-IN ALLOWANCE FOR NEW MPs
The 12th Parliament politicians shall be paid a settling-in allowance equivalent to one-month’s basic salary payable upfront.
The incoming MPs shall earn a monthly salary of E51 104.83 before deductions of any statutory obligations. Prior to the coming into effect of the four per cent cost-of-living-adjustment (CoLa), which was affected in September but backdated to April 2023, MPs earned E49 139.30 basic salary.
The settling-in allowance, according to the Finance Circular No.2 of 2023, will be a once-off and payable to Presiding Officers, Ministers, Deputy Presiding Officers, Members of Parliament and Regional Administrators. The allowance will not be paid to re-elected and or re-appointed members.
It will also not be paid to Tindvuna and Bucopho. The Attorney General is also not entitled to the settling-in allowance.
The Circular states that the purpose of a settling-in allowance is to enable the “Presiding Officers, Ministers, Deputy Presiding Officers, Members of Parliament and the Regional Administrators to cover the relocation expenses from their home base in Eswatini to their seats of office in Eswatini.”
