PSC now seeks to cap civil servants’ salary advances at one month's pay

The Public Service Commission (PSC) is proposing a stringent cap on salary advances for civil servants, aiming to curb excessive financial strain on public officers.

The draft Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual includes a provision limiting salary advances to a maximum of one month's pay.

According to the draft policy, accounting officers will only be authorised to grant salary advances of up to one month's salary under dire circumstances, such as unforeseen personal emergencies or substantial unexpected expenses.

The document underscores that "”An advance under this regulation may be granted only when an officer has no other outstanding salary advance. In very exceptional circumstances, an Accounting Officer may grant an advance of not more than two (2) months’ salary in situations similar to those in paragraph (1) above if he is satisfied that the officer needs assistance in excess of one month’s salary advance,” read the draft by PSC in part."

In exceptional cases, where an accounting officer is convinced that an officer requires more than one month’s salary to navigate a critical situation, an advance of up to two months’ salary may be considered.

However, the PSC emphasises that such cases will be subjected to rigorous scrutiny.

The PSC’s move is a direct response to concerns about the financial burdens faced by civil servants.

Without standardised limits, some officers have accumulated significant salary advance debts, significantly impacting their net pay.

The proposed cap is intended to protect public officers from excessive deductions and ensure financial stability.

To facilitate repayment, the draft policy mandates full recovery of salary advances within a 12-month period.

For officers nearing retirement or leaving the service, the outstanding amount must be settled in equal instalments before their departure.

The policy is now open for public consultation before finalization.