Tonga’s public servants will have a new pay structure from July 1.
The new pay structure is part of the Second Remuneration Report which was approved by cabinet yesterday.
A government press release yesterday said the decision marked a new milestone for the public service.
“The current salary structure was established back in the 1970s and it is outdated and contained a lot of anomalies for a lot of positions and salary scales,” the statement said.
“The first attempt by the Government to reform the salary structure was in 2005, which unfortunately resulted in the public service strike.
“Lessons learned from 2005 were taken into account by the current Government in revisiting this important initiative for the public service.”
The Second Remuneration Report was submitted to Cabinet by the Remuneration Authority in November 2015. Cabinet ordered the Remuneration Authority to work with the Public Service Commission on ways to implement the report and make it available it to all chief executive officers for consultation.
Consultations were completed in March and the final report handed to Cabinet.
Work on implementing the report will be undertaken by the Public Service Commission, the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Remuneration Authority.
Prime Minister, Samuela ‘Akilisi Pohiva said if the various bodies worked with the public service there would be a smooth transition to the new salary structure.
He said proper mechanisms would be established to deal with anomalies and complaints fairly and satisfactorily.
The Minister for Finance and National Planning said the decision to approve the report sent a signal to the kingdom’s development partners that the government was working on reforming the public service.
The new remuneration structure is linked directly to the performance of public service employees and the government’s commitment to improve service to the public.
The Public Service Commission is working with the Remuneration Authority in the preparatory work for the implementation of this new framework.
Cabinet also approved the First Remuneration Report submitted by the Remuneration Authority in 2014. The report will be updated and also effective from July1.
The first report recommended remuneration structures for officers listed in the schedule to the Remuneration Authority Act 2010 which included Cabinet Ministers, Legislative Assembly Staff, Judges, Members of Court of Appeal, Tribunals and Statutory Boards, His Majesty’s Armed Forces, Ministry of Police, Prison and Fire Services and positions not covered in the Public Service Act.
The main points
- Tonga’s public servants will have a new pay structure from July 1.
- The new pay structure is part of the Second Remuneration Report which was approved by cabinet yesterday.
- A government press release yesterday said the decision marked a new milestone for the public service.
- “The current salary structure was established back in the 1970s and it is outdated and contained a lot of anomalies for a lot of positions and salary scales,” the statement said.
