Government Reviews Workers’ Salaries and packages

Finance and Economic Development Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube announced a review of government workers’ salaries and introduced a number of packages.

Reads the statement:

ZIMBABWE PRESS STATEMENT REVIEW OF THE REMUNERATION FRAMEWORK AND SERVICE-WIDE CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
The Government of Zimbabwe recognises and appreciates the tireless work and unwavering commitment to duty of all Civil Servants across the three arms of the state, namely the Executive (Whole of Government), the Legislature (Parliament), and the Judiciary, including Grant Aided entities, Agencies and Independent Commissions. To this end, Government has been closely monitoring developments in the macro economy, with a view of ensuring that exogenous shocks from adverse macro-economic developments do not seriously erode the purchasing power of Civil Servants’ salaries. As such, Government has been reviewing the cash and non-cash benefits of Civil Servants as follows:

1. THE EXECUTIVE
   Just recently, Government announced that Civil Servants’ basic salaries have been increased by 100% with effect from 1 July 2022, and that negotiations are continuing through the National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC) platform to come up with additional salary for and condition of service reviews.

In addition, serving members of the Civil Service have the following benefits: –

• A housing loan guarantee scheme;

• Civil service housing loan scheme; and

• Access to the duty-free importation of a single motor vehicle for personal use by the civil servant.

a) Health Sector.

With particular regard to the Health Services Sector, Government has reviewed upwards the Health Sector-Specific Allowances in the following areas: –

• On-Call Allowances, which apply to Doctors and Laboratory Scientists;

• Night Duty, Stand By / Callout Allowances, which apply to Nurses, Nurse Aides and General Hands in theatre;

• Nurse Managers Allowances;

• Special Health equalisation factor which applies to all eligible staff;

• Covid and Infectious Disease Risk Allowances.

In addition, Government has reviewed the non-monetary benefits for the Health Sector including the following: –

• provision of institutional housing for health workers starting with Harare and Bulawayo;

• provision of housing loan guarantees;

• provision of efficient transport facilities, starting with Referral / Central Hospitals

• addressing deficiencies in the cafeteria system and re-operationalising the system; and • Local production and sourcing of uniforms for health personnel.

b) Teachers.
• Restoration of Advancement awards;

• Payment of Performance awards which had been withheld due to financial constraints, have been restored and these will now be processed effective 1 July 2022. For this purpose, members will now be placed on their correct employment grades;

• Payment of school fees for up to 3 biological children per teaching family; This benefit applies to teachers and payment will be made directly to schools and will be up to a prescribed limit per biological child. Currently this limit is ZWL20,000 per child per term and Treasury is ready to disburse the required amounts for the first term.

• Provision of 34 000 housing units as institutional accommodation for teachers To cushion teachers from the rising cost of accommodation, Government has committed itself to provide 34 000 housing units within and outside school premises over a period of 5 years.

• Provision of transport facilities to ferry teachers in both rural and urban areas has already commenced. This is facilitated by existing structures under the Civil Service Bus Fund and Rural and Urban Mass Transport System.

c) Security Sector.
Government values the critical role played by the security services in the economy. Substantial progress has been made in ensuring competitive remuneration and general improvement of the conditions of service for members in the security sector.

• Government has introduced military salary concept and its equivalent, across the security cluster, covering various categories of benefits.

• In addition, Government has accelerated the acquisition of operational vehicles for middle management.

• Government is also instituting immediate measures to increase access to institutional housing and transportation for serving members of the security services.

• The security services sector also has access to the Housing Loan Guarantee Scheme to enable members to purchase houses in the areas of their choice, under the frameworks being finalised by the service Commissions and the respective, participating Financial institutions.

d) Provision of Housing loan guarantee scheme for home ownership by Civil Servants
The Public Service Commission in collaboration with the Ministry of National Housing and Social Amenities, Ministry of Local Government and Public Works and Treasury are working towards the resuscitation of the housing loan guarantee facility for Civil Servants under which the Government will be the guarantor of housing mortgages applied by members through the identified network banks. Consultations between relevant stakeholders have already been initiated by the Public Service Commission.

e) Payment of a USD75.00 Covid-19 Allowance.
Recognising the significant risk factors faced by Civil Servants who are mostly frontline workers, government introduced an USD75.00 per month Covid-19 Risk Allowance. This amount is still payable in foreign currency and will continue to be paid for the foreseeable future.

f) Payment of a USD100.00 per month Cushioning Allowance
Recognising the hardships faced by public sector workers in the face of adverse macro-economic developments and the impact of dual currency pricing, Government introduced a USD100.00 per month cushioning allowance payable in foreign currency. This allowance also continues to be paid and will subsist for the foreseeable future.

2. THE LEGISLATURE (PARLIAMENT OF ZIMBABWE)
   Parliamentarians and Staff of the Parliament of Zimbabwe have also had various reviews implemented across both salary and non-cash benefits as follows:-

• Salaries have been increased by at least 100% with effect from 1 July 2022

• Sitting allowances have been similarly increased.

• Government has also introduced a contributory medical scheme where Government will contribute 80% to the Subscriptions, similar to the scheme which is in place for Civil Servants.

• Government has introduced a duty-free importation of a second motor vehicle for use by parliamentarians in their public service work.

• In order to ease transport challenges for employees, Government acquired buses for use by parliament staff.
Constituency Visit Allowance

• In the spirit of “Leaving No-One and No Place Behind” in public engagement, Government has recently introduced a constituency visit allowance to improve close relations between elected officials and their constituents and electorate. Fuel is provided to members in all constituencies irrespective of the distance to their Constituencies from the Capital City.

• Members of the Legislature are also being paid the combined USD175.00 per month Allowance comprised of the USD75.00 Covid-19 Allowance and the USD100.00 Cushioning Allowance

3. THE JUDICIARY
   • All members of the judiciary have received a salary increase of a minimum of 100% with effect from 1 July 2022. In addition, an allowance that recognizes and aligns remuneration with peers in the legal profession has also been put in place.

• Members of the Judiciary are now also benefitting from the Housing Loan Guarantee Scheme and the Housing Loan scheme as well as the duty-free facility for the importation of one motor vehicle.

• Members of the Judiciary are also being paid the combined USD175.00 per month Allowance comprised of the USD75.00 Covid-19 Allowance and the USD100.00 Cushioning Allowance

In conclusion, therefore, The Government of Zimbabwe reiterates its commitment to pay competitive remuneration to Civil Servants in order to retain critical skills and derive efficient public services. Accordingly, Government will continue to analyse conditions of service for all Civil Servants in order to appropriately and timeously benchmark these in line with economic developments.

Hon. Prof. Mthuli Ncube
MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 27 JUNE 2022

Chamisa Councillors To Pocket US$12K From Pomona Probe

A group of CCC councillors is allegedly set to pocket US$12 000 in fees from Harare City Council for “investigating” the Pomona waste management deal, now a done deal with Government backing.
The committee chairperson, Councillor Ian Makone, is also allegedly compromised to investigate the deal as he was the Environmental Management Committee chair at the time the deal was approved.

CCC councillors are opposing the deal, despite it being legally entered between Harare City Council and Netherlands investor, Geogenix BV, after being approved by Government.

Under the deal, a massive waste-to-energy project would be set up at the Pomona dumpsite in Harare.

The special committee comprise of other CCC councillors including Keith Charumbira, Kudzai Kadzombe and Blessing Duma.

It is also made up if external lawyer, Mr Godfrey Mupanga, and Engineer Stephen Musarurwa.

Sources say each councillor will pocket a fee of US$12 000 for “investigating” the deal, which is already in the public domain.

Contacted for comment, acting town clerk, Engineer Phakhamile Mabhena Moyo, said: “I don’t have figures”.

Mayor Mafume said he was unaware of the move.

“We had a full council meeting (last Thursday) and no such thing was raised by the relevant committee.

“The issue hasn’t arisen at this stage,” he said.

But a well-placed source at Town House said the councillors had pleaded for more days to continue investigating the deal.

“Each councillor was initially set to receive US$6 000 for two weeks of investigating the Pomona deal, but they have requested for additional two weeks implying they will now pocket US$12 000 each,” said the source.

Interestingly, all the councillors in the committee belong to the CCC party which is on record opposing the project.

The project, which has already obtained national status project, is expected to generate up to 22MW of electricity.

It also has Cabinet approval, and therefore, outside the council’s purview to attempt to suspend or investigate it.

While the council may be obliged to pay external consultants on the committee such as lawyer Mr Mupanga and Eng Musarurwa of the Institute of Engineers, there is no basis for the councillors to be paid allowances as it is part of their mandate to conduct council business.

In a letter dated June 7, 2022, the Harare City through Mayor Mafume said the committee was being appointed to look into the concession agreement to design, build and operate the Harare Pomona waste management facility and waste to the energy power plant.

In the letter, Mayor Mafume said: “I am pleased to advise you that on 2nd June 2022, Council appointed you as one of the six members of the Special Committee. The special committee will be headed by Clr lan Makone.

“The committee shall meet to appoint one of its members as the Secretariat, as well as agree on the schedule of its operations.”

Mayot Mafume said the special committee shall endeavour to complete its task as expeditiously as possible, within 14 days from the date of the commissioning of the inquiry.

“You shall be paid fees that will be determined by the Finance and Development Committee, therefore you will be advised in due course. Thank you for accepting the council’s invitation to be part of the special committee,” he said.

About Post Author