(Last Updated on February 5, 2016 by Editor)
ZIMBABWE – Zimbabwean Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa has finally unveiled payment dates for the country’s civil servants bonuses, reports said on Thursday.
According to New Zimbabwe, the southern African country would pay its civil servants in batches, starting with the country’s national army this month, followed by health workers and police in March. Teachers, who consume the biggest chunk of the government revenue, would get paid in April and then finally, other civil servants would get their money in May.
Chinamasa vowed that government would stick to its promises of paying the country’s civil servants bonuses.
“For the benefit of the public and other relevant stakeholders, I wish to advise that government remains committed to honouring its 2015 obligations to its employees.
“As you are already aware, government is currently experiencing cash flow constraints, which makes it untenable to effect a bullet payment,” Chinamasa was quoted saying.
According to reports late last year, the country’s secret agencies were paid their December salaries and bonuses within a space of ten days apart, thus, leading to the arrest of two NewsDay journalists for breaking the story.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba vowed at the time that government would be harsh on journalists who reported on the army.
According to the state-owned newspaper, Chinamasa also promised to keep civil servants’ pay dates constant this year.
Last year, the government had to reschedule the December salary payment dates as it did not have sufficient funds to pay its workers. This irked the fury of civil servants, who intern threatened to down tools.