In case you missed it, civil servants can look forward to a 2.5% salary increase (see last week Tuesday’s newspaper) once the 2026 budget is approved. This obviously adds to the importance of doing so swiftly, despite whatever disagreement over new procedures for its handling in Parliament.
That in no way means elected representatives ought to be less thorough and critical. But more than halfway into the year and with the 2027 budget due under two months from now, a common goal should remain to finalise the current process as quickly as responsibly possible.
Those who wonder why an admittedly cash-strapped government is giving its personnel a raise; think again. It regards indexation to compensate for the rising cost-of-living. Without such, their purchase power would actually drop due to inflation.
Public sector employees will receive this retroactively to January 1 and may consequently expect a significant payout. Great care must be taken to avoid higher taxes because of getting one big amount, as happened in the past.
However, recipients might also consider that they have been able to get by without this income thus far. Instead of now spending all the money on consumer goods right away, think about saving a part or investing in something more lasting.
In other words: Use it wisely.
