Comment on the socio-economic growth and development of our country and the recent salary adjustment for government employees: A grey spot on the otherwise white plain paper 

By Y. K. E.

Sep 24, 2007

Comments are not about disclosing things that one feels are incorrect or unjust. It has to be a balanced review to portray the reality in a way that helps to improve the situation or serve as a lesson for future actions. This comment has to be viewed in this line of thinking.

The economic growth of our country as expressed in construction boom, education and health infrastructure expansions, increasing export items and the like; and now the salary increase for government employees are adequate justifications for the government’s extraordinary efforts to change the country for the better.

The foundations for a nation’s overall betterment are socio-economic growth and development, equity, stability and sustainability. Growth is a prerequisite for development. Growth is expressed in terms of size or quantity increase while development shows the changes in quality. This could be better explained by the growth and development analogy in plants. For example, bamboo attains maximum height and diameter in three to four months, and this is the highest biomass volume growth for bamboo. However, this biomass has to pass through various developmental processes, which takes three to four years in bamboo, to attain maximum quality in terms of stem strength and resistance to deteriorating agents. Likewise, growth in socio-economics could be achieved in relatively short period of time if the environment required for that to happen is rightly set. However, that growth has to pass through developmental processes to attain maximum quality. So, the economic growth of Ethiopia is highly remarkable although it still has to pass through various quality change processes to develop and stabilize; and this will naturally take time.

Growth and development without fair and equitable sharing mechanism among citizens is an economic slavery that leads to social subjugation where the few individual owners of the wealth decide the fate of all citizens.  This in turn leads to social unrest and prevalence of unlawful activities. Resource redistribution through taxation, incentives, salary adjustments for inflation and increases commensurate to the level of growth and development and the like is, therefore, a character of a good government that endeavors to promote a balanced growth and development. The differential salary adjustment made to the government employees in the various sectors could be taken as a step in this direction. The action taken is commendable and timely if not late. However, the way it is done is open for argument. For one thing, the payment system in Ethiopia in my view was unfair where government employees who are experts in the same area, of the same caliber and qualification and having the same year of service are paid different salaries in the various sectors. Basing the salary increase on the existing salary would, therefore, tantamount to approval of the injustice. For example, there are researchers hired to do research, lecturers hired to teach and do research and experts hired for development activities having similar qualification, year of service and competence in their respective fields. The maximum increase for researchers and lecturers is above 80% while the maximum increase for the experts is 37%, which is the same as the increase to all other civil service employees. This requires a clear explanation on the rationality to fully understand it. The salary increase for Director Generals and their Deputies is 37%, but all do not have similar fringe benefits. Some have free medical service, free housing and telephone services for their families. Others do not get any of these advantages. Secondly, differential salary increases before the actual implementation of the civil service reform currently under thorough study is for me difficult to understand. This is, therefore, the grey spot on the otherwise white plain paper. Nevertheless, the public has been demanding for adjustment and answering the public call was a right decision; although I am not very sure how much this will check the prevailing high brain drain. A lot remains to be done to that effect.   

Stability and sustainability are also essential factors to ensure perpetual betterments. Stability is usually expressed in terms of the systems ability to withstand shocks of various origins while sustainability is the capacity to remain accelerating in similar or increasing speed in the desired direction. Judging from the last few years, our socio-economic growth is gaining momentum in stability. The indications for sustainability are also encouraging, although too early to pass a judgment on this issue. Stability and sustainability could be substantially promoted through agricultural and industrial diversifications within specializations. The measures being taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to promote agricultural specializations and diversifications are more than satisfactory.

In summary, our socio-economic growth is moving in the right direction. We need to give time for the growth attained to develop. More importantly, increased attention and focus should be given to equity, stability and sustainability.