Civilian Staff Would Bring Efficiencies And Economies

Transfering non-operational staff work from uniformed personnel to civilians at New Zealand Defence Force headquarters would cut costs and improve efficiency, according to the majority report of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee onDefence Beyond 2000. It would also see the NZDF return to its primary role as an operational organisation.

“Colonel-equivalent officers, whose annual salaries range from $90,200 to $94,600, are paid around $30,000 more than their civilian counterparts,” the report said.

In addition, the military received a superannuation subsidy of around 20 pert cent of their salary, compared with the 7.5 per cent subsidy for civilian staff who were members of the Government Superannuation Fund. In addition civilian staff were not subject to the military’s frequent personnel postings and could therefore carry out specialised work more productively.

“The retention of unnecessarily large numbers of uniformed personnel in desk jobs, particularly more highly ranked officers is, in our view, uneconomical.”

ENDS

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