No one could have valid reasons to oppose having an austere government
, without privileges or luxuries . But the dramatic salary cuts for the high-ranking bureaucracy , that will take place on December 1st, could start conflicts that must be considered.
The President-elect 's decision to lower his salary , starting on December 1st , to less than the half of what the current President earn s. López Obrador is staying true to one of the promises he made during his campaign. It would be wrong not to comply with it.
The announcement that no public servant could have a higher salary than the President has received mixed reactions.
In the Supreme Court , the president and minister argued in favor of the members of the judicial branch having a decent salary that guarantees their independence as judges. The INE's president and the counselor said that they're willing to lower their salary if the law stipulates it, he reminded us that in 2017 they agreed to take a 10% cut , but that the judicial branch's Electoral Tribunal rejected this decision .
In judicial matters, this has been established. The constitutional article no. 127 mentions tha t no public officer can earn more than the President . Why hasn't it been complied with?
As EL UNIVERSAL published today , there are over 35,000 public servants , not only in the Supreme Court or autonomous organisms like the INE, who earn more than the MXN $108,000 maximum that has been established by Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
What could happen
if thousands of public servant s who will receive a pay cut so suddenly ? One of the possibilities is a brain drain . Those who have built a career around public service could migrate to the private sector, where they would b e offered a higher salary . Many positions in public administration would be taken by amateurs , what could influence their efficiency in governmental tasks. Nevertheless, that would be a harmless consequence. The serious consequence would be when the public servants stopped receiving their usual salaries and might be tempted to wrongfully use public resources to compensate for the salary cut.
There's fear in public administration because of the reduction announcement . It would be a drama for thousands of families , it could turn into a boomerang for the incoming government. It would be a good idea to clarify the matte r, and to bring a bit of calmness.
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