Mbabane – Minister of Finance Neal Rijkenberg said the government would begin paying the long-awaited civil servants’ salary adjustments on Monday, October 27, 2025, as part of the recently concluded salary review exercise.
Speaking during his Finance in Focus address on Friday, Rijkenberg said the salary review had been fully supported by the government and was a crucial step toward ensuring fair compensation for public workers. He described the process as “professionally and carefully done” to fix long-standing gaps in the civil service pay structure.
“There were cases where, after a promotion, salaries actually decreased. These issues have now been corrected,” said Rijkenberg.
The Minister revealed that the Treasury was working “overtime” to meet Monday’s payment deadline, despite several challenges encountered along the way. He emphasized the government’s commitment to honoring its promise to employees, noting that only a portion of the salary review was implemented during the current financial year.
Rijkenberg acknowledged that the implementation would place significant pressure on the national budget, with this year’s wage bill expected to overshoot initial projections. He said the government was already identifying areas where spending cuts could be made to prevent the overall budget from going overboard.
“Next year will be even tougher,” he cautioned.
“The wage bill is increasing from around E800 million to nearly E1 billion, meaning much of next year’s budget will go toward salaries, leaving little room for new projects. “Despite these challenges, Rijkenberg expressed confidence that the government would remain financially stable. However, he admitted that capital investment projects may have to slow down in the coming year.
The finance minister explained that Eswatini’s wage bill had been a long-term concern, once standing at 42% of total government expenditure, one of the highest rates globally. Through fiscal discipline, this figure has dropped to 32% over the past seven years, though it will temporarily rise to 36% following the salary review.
“Our goal remains to eventually bring it down to around 25%,” Rijkenberg said, suggesting that the government may later review staff numbers to maintain sustainability.
Rijkenberg also issued a personal appeal to civil servants, urging them to manage their finances responsibly following their pay increases.
“With some receiving over 20% salary increments, this is the perfect time to reset spending habits,” he said. “Avoid falling back into debt traps and ensure that loans don’t consume more than a third of your income.”
He encouraged public employees to use the salary adjustments to restructure debts, save more, and live within their means, warning against reliance on loan sharks. While acknowledging the short-term fiscal tightening, Rijkenberg reaffirmed the government’s confidence that the country would “make it through” the transition.
He described the salary review as long overdue and an essential step toward restoring morale and fairness within the public service.
“Even though things will be tight, we are confident that we’ll be able to afford what we need to afford next year.”
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