The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) is pushing to scrap four allowances paid to public servants in a move that will see it save more than Ksh.100 billion annually.
The allowances on SRC’s radar include retreat allowance, task force allowance, non-practice allowance and sitting allowance for internal committees of an institution.
According to the remuneration commission, payment of these allowances amounts to double payments for the same work done because some of the roles performed by employees for these allowances are what they are employed to do.
Read: Cabinet Secretaries To Enjoy Hefty Allowances By SRC
On the retreat allowance, which involves out-of-office assignments focused on reviewing or formulating policies, SRC says that it is a responsibility found in the employees’ job descriptions.
“Payment of the allowance in addition to the basic salary, therefore, amounts to double compensation. Consequently, SRC advises that the allowance be abolished and ceases to be payable,” said SRC.
The SRC also says that allowance to internal committee members for implementing policies is also a form of double payment.
“Payment of the allowance to institutional internal committee members, in addition to the basic salary, amounts to double compensation as they are constituted to execute the mandate of the institution,” said SRC.
Read: SRC’s Revised Salary Structures For MCAs, County Speakers And CECs
The commission also struck hard on the task force allowance, where the commission said employees have to choose between receiving the task force allowance or monthly salary if they are involved in a task force for more than 30 days.
“Where a public officer is involved in a task force on a full-time basis for more than one month, the officer will be required to opt for either the task force allowance or the monthly salary for the substantive post,” said SRC.
SRC also said that employees should not be paid for a task force allowance of more than 15 days in a month and they should also not be involved in more than one task force concurrently.
On the non-practice, SRC said, “Consequently, SRC advises that: non-practice allowance be abolished and ceases to be payable; where payment of the allowance is contractual, the payment will continue as a benefit to self.”
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