The salary scales of the Government’s top aides have been raised but the Office of the Prime Minister insisted that the overall cost of political staff at ministries would not increase.

The heads of the political staff within each ministry have been upgraded a scale, as has the head of government communications – a move representing a step-up of some €3,000 a year on their basic salaries compared with their predecessors.

However, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said the upgrade was part of a reorganisation of the political secretariats, which includes shedding at least two officials from each ministry.

“We will stick to the budgets allocated to the secretariats by the previous Administration but have decided to upgrade the salary scales of some positions to reflect their increased responsibility,” the OPM said.

Chiefs of staff, the spokesman pointed out, will now also be responsible for consultants employed with their respective ministries as well as the staff of parliamentary secretaries.

With respect to Keith Schembri, the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Prime Minister, the OPM said he remained on salary scale 2, the same as his predecessor Edgar Galea Curmi.

Previously, Heads of Secretariat within the ministries were placed on salary scale 4, while the one in the OPM was on salary scale 3.

Records show Mr Galea Curmi was scaled up in the previous legislature, according to the OPM.

When contacted, Mr Galea Curmi confirmed he had been upgraded to salary scale 2 in 2008 but pointed out that he had served as Lawrence Gonzi’s aide since 1998.

The OPM added that when one also factors in reductions of allowances implemented by the current Administration, the Chief of Staff and the Head of Government Communication (who was scaled up from scale 4 to scale 3) will effectively earn a gross salary that is around 10 per cent less than their predecessors.

According to the latest collective agreement for the civil service in 2013, scale 4 is equivalent to €30,668, scale 3 to €33,853 and scale 2 to €37,036.

On top of these, the basic salaries are topped up with allowances that can raise the gross package by as much as €10,000.

According to the latest estimates, the cost of each ministry is about €800,000 a year, while the running of an office of a parliamentary secretary is €400,000 a year.

mmicallef@timesofmalta.com