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| Thursday, 18 March 2004 |
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Bashing the Salaries : Commission Report Grossly, perhaps deliberately, inaccurate statements made to the media by VIPs in the Ministries of Finance, Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs compel me, rather reluctantly, to defend a specific recommendation made in the Report of the Salaries Commission 2000 which I chaired. These statements allege that the Commission recommended the immediate axing of 50,000 jobs in the public service - which heartless move the present administration could never countenance. This is so far from the truth that I wonder whether these persons ever bothered to read the Report published as Sessional Paper 2/2002 and sold at the Govt. Publications Bureau. The recommendation in question is in Chapter 4/ Para 4.22 and reads as follows: "The Commission is of the view that on a rough estimate 30 percent of cadre, particularly at lower and middle levels, could form the excess cadre at present. The exact position can only be confirmed at the conclusion of the cadre study by all institutions. Pending the finalization of the cadre study, the Commission recommends a reduction to be achieved in stages, within 5 years. * A 5 percent reduction in cadre at the end of the 1 st year - this could be achieved by not filling the post falling vacant consequent to retirements, by abolishing posts which are no longer necessary and by abolishing posts that have remained vacant during the past two years. * A further reduction of 5% in the second year on the same basis. * A cumulative reduction of 20% in the 3rd year, as it is expected that the cadre study would be completed by then. * A cumulative reduction of 30 percent by the end of the fifth year. * Consequent to this there should be strict control of the creation of posts and recruitment. * All institutions under the government should commence the cadre study immediately to achieve the desired reduction as targeted, with the view to finding savings to meet the additional cost of the salary bill." The detailed recommendations in this regard are in Para 4.20 and subsections of the same Chapter. (2) In today's context it is also useful, and interesting, to refer to para 4.16: "The Commission has observed that a large number of ad-hoc recruitment have taken place at certain periods of time, generally prior to an election. During the last few months of 2001, large numbers were recruited to the lower and middle grades and permanent status was conferred on temporary and casual employees without any regard in respect of actual cadre requirements and financial implications. The Commission strongly holds the view that proper schemes of recruitment should be laid down and followed at all levels and at all times in effecting recruitment. This should be applicable for promotions as well." I trust I have made my point clear. I have also noted a statement attributed to the President of the SLAS Association that the Salaries Commission wound up its activities without presenting any recommendations to the Cabinet. As a former member of the SLAS, I was saddened that this official seems ignorant of the fact that a Presidential Commission makes its report to the President, never to the Cabinet. Neither does he seem to know that the recommendations of the Report were published as Sessional Paper 2 of 2002. - Tissa Devendra, Chairman, Salaries Commission 2000. |
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