KIGALI - Some of the public servants who will be dropped from the public service will remain on the State payroll for a period of six months as the government seeks to redeploy them, a situation that may lead to the government losing billions.

According to the Minister of Public Service and Labour, Anastase Murekezi, the government is planning a ‘soft landing’ for public officials who stand to lose their jobs after the ongoing evaluation exercise.

Several public institutions are undergoing evaluation of their respective employees and the reforms will be based on the results.

"Those who pass the evaluation with 70 percent and above will retain their positions but are free to compete for any other higher posts depending on their qualifications, while those with 50-70 percent will be laid off but paid three thirds of their salary for the next six months as they wait for their terminal benefits,” he said.

However, Murekezi added that the government will keep seeking options of where to fix those who will be laid off with average marks (between 50 and 70 percent).

Employees who will score less than 50 percent during the evaluation will automatically be laid off with no terminal benefits.

Asked why the government is planning to spend so much on poor performers or none active staff, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Marceline Mukamurangwa, said it is part of the reform process.

"This is a way of recognizing staff who worked well for the government,” said Mukamurangwa.

However, the Executive Secretary, in the Public Service Commission, Angelina Muganza, said that the money to be spent on the retrenched staff is stipulated by the law.

According to the Minister, of the 789 government officials in the central government who were evaluated, 632 passed while 157 failed.

Murekezi could not however reveal further statistics saying that the evaluation is still going on in the local government and a final report is not yet available.

He added that after the reforms, the government will do a State structures review which in the long run may lead to the increase of public servants from the current 5,500 to close to 9,000.

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