AMAN requests adopting a clear policy to define the salaries of high officials
The Coalition for Integrity and Accountability –AMAN- held a session in its headquarters in Ramallah to discuss the draft study of the financial rights of officials in non-ministerial public organisations and in community-based organisations. The study aims to identify the current position of financial and administrative systems running in a number of non-ministerial public organisations where employees do not fall under the civil service law. The study also aims to identify the salaries’ amount and other financial privileges provided for those working in such organisations especially high officials like executive chiefs and directors. The study also analyzed the size of the problem in this aspect and finally presented a series of possible recommendations and solutions to the Council of Ministers to resolve this problem under the best international standards and practices.
In attendance were representatives of the Council of Ministers, the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau- SAACB, the General Personnel’s Council, the Anti-Corruption Committee, the Institute for the Specifications of Standards, the Committee for Investment Promotion, the Committee for the Capital Market, the Central Statistics Bureau, the Aviation Authority and the Water Authority in addition to a number of civil society organisations.
The consultant of AMAN’s Board of Directors, Dr. AzmiShu’aibi, opened the session saying in his speech that AMAN has no position with any side nor one against any side. He added: “Our aim is to study the legal status of the salaries and privileges of non-ministerial official organisations and community-based organisations considering that they run public funds, in order to fairly organize this sector and consequently stop the rumors and this “social grudge” against the Palestinian National Authority”.
Al Shu’aibi said: “It is unbelievable that the salaries of some directors or executive chiefs in some of these organisations exceed ten thousand dollars, whereas the salaries for positions with similar tasks in other organisations, where the governmental staff fall under the civil service law and its salaries’ scale where a minister’s salary is no more than three thousand dollars, do not exceed two thousand dollars.” He added that there are no clear standards to follow when determining salaries and other financial privileges and that the study proved the existence of a large gap between the salaries.
The director of the Legal and Advocacy Advice Center, Hama Zeidan, said that the problem lies in the absence of a vision of the government towards the formation of public organisations in general. Adding that there is a confusion in the designation of presidents of public organisations which led to constitutional violations such as hiring members of the legislative council as heads of public organisations. She also noted that the excessive number, unneeded for the public organisations, is becoming a burden on the state’s treasury.
The study, conducted by AMAN, stated that there is a lack of clear policies and standards that define the employment grades of the presidents of non-ministerial public organisations which led to wasting public funds and an unjustified magnification of several jobs in addition to an increase of the phenomenon of Wasta and favoritism to arrive to such positions.
Moreover, some presidents of non-ministerial public organisations receive salaries, privileges and awards the total of which exceed the salary of the president of the National Authority because no level is identified for the highest salaries in the public sector’s organisations. It was also noted that the phenomenon of the non-disclosureof the financial rights and salaries of the presidents of public organisations, who do not fall under the civil service law and other related laws, is increasing.
Jifal Khalil, from the State Audit and Administrative Control Bureau, first thanked AMAN Association and the attendees for conducting this important study then said: “I was hoping to also find in this study the benefits of retirement for the presidents of these organisations which should definitely be considered as privileges”. He also requested to mention the importance of applying accountability on all presidents of non-ministerial organisations the same as the government’s employees.
Representing the General Personnel’s Council, FathiKhadersaid: “I believe it is difficult to establish a job description special for the employees of high categories’ jobs, but there is a decision of the Council of Ministers that identifies the tasks of those responsible of high categorized jobs that include clear and underlined statements”. He added that there is a decision by the Council of Ministers for reviewing the grade of some senior positions such as presidents of non-ministerial organisations. Khader finally mentioned that the General Personnel Council prepared 1700 job description cards, and is now working on the cards of senior jobs’ categories.
The participants in the session came up with a group of recommendations most importantly the issuance of a law that identifies the salaries and awards of the presidents of non-ministerial public organisations like other senior and special positions such as government’s members, members of the legislative council, governors and the president of the National Authority. They also recommended issuing a system for the boards of directors of non-ministerial public organisations and determining clearly and explicitly the financial rights of their presidents and members. Moreover, the General Personnel Council has to prepare written procedures based on the principle of competitiveness and equal opportunities within the executive board of the civil service law related to mechanisms of designing presidents of non-ministerial public organisations in order to control the interference of political factors and favoritism in these designations. Another recommendation stated that a part of the periodic reports of non-ministerial public organisations should be dedicated to declare the expenses of their presidents and board of directors as well as publishing all decisions related to the nominations of presidents of non-ministerial public organisations and their financial rights. Finally, reconsidering the established non-ministerial public organisations in a way that serves the basic goal behind their creation and alleviating the career inflation and the burden on the state’s treasury.
The attendees discussed the other part of the study related to community-based organisations. A review of a sample of salary scales in the main community-based organisations revealed an increase in the salaries of general and executive directors in some of these organisations. Some of the salaries of executive directors exceeded the salary of the Prime Minister. Some community-based organisations do not list the executive director in the salary scale as he or she works by a special contract with the board of directors while his or her salary most often enforces the gap between the highest and the lowest salary in the organization. Additionally, there is no legal frame or even a general policy that organizes the issue of salaries in Palestinian organisations.
Following this discussion and listening to the remarks of the representative of the civil society organisations, the participants concluded the session with a series of recommendations. The recommendations would including statements related to salaries and wagesin the legal frame of these community-based organisations, stating that the executive director of the organization is part of the salary scale, and decreasing the gap between his/her salary and the salary of the other employees. Finally, calling community-based organisations to enhance transparency in their budgets especially the item related to salaries and wages and making it public for all citizens.
This project is funded by EU(11).jpg)
