State payroll up in 4% at August of 2016

Actualizado 2016/10/31 14:28:14

Contrary to the plan of containment of expenditures that the Government of the President Juan Carlos Varela said to be implementing and the slowdown that the country is facing, the state payroll until the month of August of 2016 increased in 4% and the wages paid to public servants went up in 12.5%.

At the beginning of this administration, the Government implemented a measure of containment of expenditures along government agencies, arguing a critical financial situation in the country, however, the payroll of the State continues to grow.

According to figures by the Comptroller General, in the first eight months of this year there were about 215 thousand 218 public servants working for the State, whose salaries totaled $266.9 million, an increase of $28.1 million compared to the same period last year when wages were $238.8 million.

According to statistical data of the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), the general budget of the State for 2016 is $20 thousand 106 million, of which 59% are for operational expenses, in which the salary of the public servants is included.

For economist Juan Jované, there is a part of the public sector where the payroll has to necessarily grow since, for example, each year more medical doctors, more teachers, and nurses start to work in the State.

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However, he stressed that a 4% increase is quite high and that means that they have been creating jobs for strictly political reasons.

The economist stressed the great increase in salaries paid calls his attention.

"This increase of 12.5% in the salaries of officials is characteristic of this Government which is creating highly-paid jobs, which is equal to hiring more people", added Jované.

According to the expert, in these moments, within the structure of the Government, there are officials that earn a salary higher than that of the President of the Republic, who makes a $7,000 monthly.

"The increase of salary to the repressive agencies of the State" is another situation that also poses a high expenditure in payroll, said the Economist, "and the Government is doing this in effort to win sympathy by these officials".

"A significant increase has not been made across the majority of the police force, but only higher ranks of the hierarchy in police have been benefited, what adds to increase of State payroll", he stressed.

Another situation which may be raising the payroll is the change of structure that was made in some public institutions of the State.

One of the most recent cases was the change of structure at Tocumen S.A., where various management positions were promoted to Vice Chairs, which means that the monthly payroll sum of this institution has increased approximately in $51 thousand in 966.

There are officials that were promoted to positions of Vice President along with an increase of approximately 3,000 dollars monthly.

The Manager of this entity, Joseph Fidanque III, is earning a monthly salary of 10 thousand dollars, which places his salary above President Varela´s.

For his part, Alfredo Berrocal, Secretary General of the Federation of Public Servants (Fenasep), said that the increase in State wages does not suffice because it is not a reality for the 100% of public employees.

The representative of the public workers added that the adjustment of salaries is not based on a salary policy, but has as an objective to benefit those supporting of the ruling political party.