Opposition spokesman for Finance and M-P for East Are'are, Edward Huniehu, revealed this figure during his criticism of the government's latest move.

Speaking to the SIBC Mr Huniehu accused Prime Minister Sogavare of using the appointments as a political ploy to secure extra numbers to ensure the government holds on to power.

According to Mr Huniehu, a gazetted report shows that each political secretary will receive additional remuneration as part of their package.

"These 10 political secretaries will be paid the same level as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, with emoluments that would be in the region of up to 350-thousand to 400-thousand dollars per annum," Huniehu said. "Ten of them would be costing the tax payers of this country about four million dollars per annum."

Mr Huniehu says this money was not budgeted in the 2007 national budget.

Huniehu says Government's latest strategy will only divert money elsewhere from Government's "Bottom up Approach" development policy.