BY BUSINESS EDITOR
MBABANE– Local Consulting Engineers (Pty) Ltd has been enlisted as the best evaluated tenderer to be awarded the Siteki Town Council tender.
Siteki Town Council was looking for a consultancy firm to provide consultancy services for detailed designing and construction supervision of Mtfuntini Road 0.2KM and Phinduvuke Road 0.19KM.
The company is expected to begin executing the tender after a period of 10 working days, should they not be contested. They scored 86.4 per cent when evaluated with a proposed price E249 998.50.
Worth noting, Government has increased salaries of town Board chairpersons and councillors by 21.4 per cent, effectively from this month.
This is according to Finance Circular No. 1 of 2020 on the review of the terms and conditions of councillors. Acting Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Hlobsile Dlamini, who is the Under Secretary (US) in the Administration Department in the ministry, said the adjustment in the new payment structure for councillors was effective from August 1, 2023.
“I can confirm that there is a new pay structure for councillors, effectively this month,” she said. A chairperson of a town Board was paid E4 818 according to the old pay structure. The amount has been increased by E1 038, which is a 21.4 per cent increment and the new pay E5 856.
A deputy chairperson previously earned E4 329 and the amount has been increased by E938 to E5 262. A councillor used to earn E3 855 and now the retainer fee is E4 686, which is an increase of E831.
In sitting allowances, the chairperson received E591 previously and as of this month, they will be paid E1 000. Councillors have two mandatory maximum sittings per month. As a result, the chairperson will now earn E7 856, inclusive of the mandatory sittings per month.
A deputy chairperson will now get E900 from a revised E510 payment per sitting. A councillor will now receive E900 from E423. The reviewed pay structure is not applicable to the town Boards’ finance councils and committees members.
The newly-reviewed pay structure was approved by Cabinet in a meeting held on Monday. This increase, according to the ministry, was informed by the different responsibilities and functions of various urban local authorities.
The PS in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Dr Simon Zwane said he was on leave to recharge before resuming his duties in the ministry.
Zwane said he would start work at his new workstation on Monday, adding that he was yet to be orientated on issues on the ground at his new job. Siteki Town Council Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sithembile Simelane confirmed the payment adjustment made by Minister Prince Simelane but referred further questions to the ministry.
