Sources close to The Gazette have revealed that the Commission has “only slightly raised” salaries of all categories. MPs will get about P190 000 annually, a figure not far from the previous P158 844. The commission has also recommended that MP’s daily allowance of P278.80 for attending Parliament should be discontinued. Some may see no increment because some of the benefits will be withdrawn. MPs had preferred a 38% pay hike.

The Gazette has learnt that the Commission is of the opinion that the seating allowance can be consolidated into the salary. It was also worried that no one is accountable for the allowance. In the past some leaders in Parliament had expressed discontent over the allowance. They said some Members only came to register for the seating allowance and leave without taking part in the debates. The Commission has also expressed concern that the allowance is not taxed, therefore it would be proper to consolidate it into Members’ salaries.

The President will get an annual salary of just over P500 000, up from P408, 852 or P34, 071 per month. The Vice President will get close to P400 000, up from P314, 508 a year or P26, 209 per month. Ministers and the Speaker will now draw an annual salary of close to P300 000n, a graduation from P251, 616 or P20,968 per month. Assistant Ministers, the Leader of Official Opposition and the Deputy Speaker will be getting P230 000, up from P209, 664 a year or P17,472 per month.

The Government Chief Whip and the Opposition Chief Whip will get an annual salary of about P185 000, graduating from P174, 732 and P165 000 up from P 158,844 respectively. Ordinary MPs will go home with close to P190 000 up from P158,844 a year or P13,237 per month. In addition, MPs’ yearly constituency allowance ranging from P62,652 for specially elected ones to P76,908 for those representing remote areas will be hiked by 7.5%. MPs are also entitled to a P6,216 hospitality allowance per annum and a communication allowance calculated at the standard rate of P27,420 per year. The Commission has recommended a 7.5% hike on both.

The recommendations of the Commission are said to be likely to be welcomed by the Vice President Seretse Khama Ian Khama who has always been against MPs demanding pay hikes. The public is also likely to side with the Commission’s recommendations because of the perceptions that some politicians are just there for the money. However Gazette investigations have revealed that Cabinet Ministers are not likely to agree with the recommendations. On the other hand if the Commission report could go to Parliament in its current form MPs are not likely to pass it.

The opinion among some of them is that the hikes are too small. They are also not in full support of the discontinuation of the seating allowance. Those against the recommendation feel that the seating allowance is an incentive to encourage MPs to attend deliberations in the house. “Parliament has been struggling with quorum even when the allowance was there, the situation is likely to be worse now without the allowance,” said one of the MPs. .

The Commission was chaired by Justice Dibotelo. Its other members were: Mr. Kenneth Matambo, Mr. Benjamin Makobole, Mrs. Nozipho Mabe, and Ms. Janet Rubin. The Commission was further served by a Secretariat headed by DPS Labour and Home Affairs, Mr. Lucky Moahi with the help of Mr. Newman Kahiya, Mr. Disikalala Gaseitsiwe and Mrs. Goitseone Madikwe.

The Commission was assigned to review the existing pay scales of the politicians and make appropriate recommendations to reflect the level of responsibility and accountability for each of the categories. It was also tasked to review the existing conditions of service and other entitlements, including Allowances and Terminal Benefits for each of the categories with a view to making appropriate recommendations.

Critical to the terms of reference was the fact that the Commission was asked to make other recommendation which the Commission may consider necessary, taking into account the country's financial ability to sustain the proposals. The Commission was also asked to present the financial implications of the recommendations.