Hierarchical Inflation-Tied Pay, Travel Reimbursement, Free Press, and Education
Existing Political Pay Structure
Members of Parliament in the National Assembly of Botswana earn 470,364 BWP or approximately $43,000 per year plus about $40 per attendance at a meeting of Parliament. There are higher salaries for higher positions, with the president making almost $100,000, Vice President about $85,000, Speaker $67,000 plus $55 per attendance, Ministers (who are MPs) $65,000 plus $40 per attendance, and Whips getting paid between MPs and Ministers.
The structure is somewhat linked to the public service structure, but not entirely. These salaries are set by the Ministry for Presidential Affairs, Governance, and Public Administration putting forth bills that are then voted on by Parliament.[1] Only one party has ever ruled, but elections still are thought to be fair and free, and they are occasionally close.[2]
These salaries seem to be high. Botswana is not a rich country, so these salaries dwarf the average Botswanan salary of $7000 per year.[3] MP salaries are also about double the average salary for lawyers in the country.[4] However, the salaries’ being linked to the public service structure can somehow mean that MPs get paid less than their permanent secretaries.[5]
Effects of Existing Political Pay Structure
There are several effects of these high salaries. High salaries can increase competition[6] and (therefore in theory) improve selection. They have also been shown to incentivize people to introduce more bills and get more approved.[7] High salaries also lead to more re-election campaigns and fewer resignations,[8] but they can also lead to less educated[9] or wealthier MPs who spend more on campaigns. [10] High salaries in a poor country also upset people.[11]
Bonuses for attendance incentivize good attendance, and a poor private sector lowers the opportunity cost of running and increases the relative attractiveness of being an MP, both increasing competition, but also potentially attracting people who do not care about the public good, and who are just seeking high salaries.[12]
Nonetheless, some politicians still claim they are essentially working as volunteers as they travel often for their work. In addition, the fact that they are paid worse than their subordinates sets the incentive to become a secretary of an MP higher than the incentive to become an MP.
Suggested Parliamentary Reforms
The aforementioned Ministry should fix the fact that secretaries are paid more than their MP bosses. The Ministry should also pay for Parliamentary travel. Salaries should be tied to inflation, so that adjustments are rarely necessary, preventing constant public outcry.
Enhancing Future Selection
Corruption seems to not be a huge issue in the country, [13] but there is not a freedom of the press.[14] If there was, selection could be further improved.[15] The education system could also be improved in the country, especially in rural areas, enabling new voices to enter Parliament.
[1] “Greedy MPs Defend High Perks,” Botswana Guardian, April 16, 2019, http://www.botswanaguardian.co.bw/news/itemlist/tag/Salaries%20and%20Allowances.html.
[2] Paul Friesen, “Analysis | Botswana’s Ruling Party Won Again. This Makes 12 Consecutive Victories.,” Washington Post, November 6, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/06/botswanas-ruling-party-won-again-this-makes-consecutive-victories/.
[3] “Botswana Wages | 2019 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News,” 2019, https://tradingeconomics.com/botswana/wages.
[4] “Botswana | 2018/19 Average Salary Survey,” accessed November 23, 2019, https://www.averagesalarysurvey.com/botswana.
[5] “Greedy MPs,” Botswana Guardian.
[6] Raymond Fisman et al., “Labor Supply of Politicians,” Journal of the European Economic Association 13, no. 5 (October 2015): 871–905, https://doi.org/10.1111/jeea.12141.
[7] Claudio Ferraz and Frederico Finan, “Motivating Politicians,” January 2011.
[8] Fisman et al, 2015.
[9] Ferraz and Finan, 2011.
[10] Ferraz and Finan, 2011.
[11] “Greedy MPs,” Botswana Guardian. (Hover over the image for a particularly angry caption).
[12] Timothy Besley, “Political Selection,” Journal of Economic Perspectives 19, no. 3 (Summer 2005): 43–60.
[13] “Corruption Perceptions Index 2018,” Transparency International, 2018, https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018.
[14] “Botswana,” Freedom House, March 10, 2016, https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2016/botswana.
[15] Besley, 2005.
“2019 Botswana General Election.” In Wikipedia, November 9, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2019_Botswana_general_election&oldid=925352094.
Besley, Timothy. “Political Selection.” Journal of Economic Perspectives 19, no. 3 (Summer 2005): 43–60.
Freedom House. “Botswana,” March 10, 2016. https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-press/2016/botswana.
“Botswana | 2018/19 Average Salary Survey.” Accessed November 23, 2019. https://www.averagesalarysurvey.com/botswana.
“Botswana Wages | 2019 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News,” 2019. https://tradingeconomics.com/botswana/wages.
Google. “Bwp to Usd - Google Search,” November 23, 2019. https://www.google.com/search?q=bwp+to+usd&oq=bwp&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j69i57j0l4.849j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8.
Transparency International. “Corruption Perceptions Index 2018,” 2018. https://www.transparency.org/cpi2018.
Ferraz, Claudio, and Frederico Finan. “Motivating Politicians,” January 2011.
Fisman, Raymond, Nikolaj A. Harmon, Emir Kamenica, and Inger Munk. “Labor Supply of Politicians.” Journal of the European Economic Association 13, no. 5 (October 2015): 871–905. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeea.12141.
Friesen, Paul. “Analysis | Botswana’s Ruling Party Won Again. This Makes 12 Consecutive Victories.” Washington Post, November 6, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/11/06/botswanas-ruling-party-won-again-this-makes-consecutive-victories/.
“Greedy MPs Defend High Perks.” Botswana Guardian, April 16, 2019. http://www.botswanaguardian.co.bw/news/itemlist/tag/Salaries%20and%20Allowances.html.
World Bank. “Improving the Quality of Basic Education and Skills Development in Botswana.” Text/HTML, December 2, 2014. https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/12/02/improving-the-quality-of-basic-education-and-skills-development-in-botswana.
Salary Explorer. “Legal Average Salaries in Botswana 2019.” Accessed November 23, 2019. http://www.salaryexplorer.com/salary-survey.php?loc=28&loctype=1&job=35&jobtype=1.