System error leads to premature increase in teachers' salaries, government urges them to return the money
Many teachers in the country are likely to suffer a salary shortfall this financial year after a system error upped salaries of science teachers leaving the coffers strained.
The permanent secretary in the ministry of Public Service Bitarakwate Musingwire asked teachers who benefited from the error to return the money or risk a shortfall in the coming months.
Recently, government announced an increment in salary for science teachers with salaries of graduate science teachers rising from Shs600,000 to Shs1.9m per month while diploma holders would earn Shs1.7m, up from Shs625, 067. It did not announce when the increment would take effect.
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However last month, a section of science teachers jubilated when all of a sudden they received more money on their accounts than the usual salary.
Now government says there was a system error and it plans to recover the money when it makes the next payment.
"Science teachers are rated with the other scientists who do research. So even when Parliament hadn’t approved their salary increment they where paid but this was in error," Bitarakwate said.
Julius Owino, a science teacher at Entebbe Secondary School, says he was paid Shs 1.5 million in August yet he has been earning Shs 750,000. He said he will not return the money voluntarily as the ministry requested.
"I don’t see myself retuning this money. I will seek legal interpretations I know there are many lawyers willing to help us," he said.
