(Last Updated on October 27, 2021 by zimdaily)
HARARE – The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare has implored Finance and Economic Development Minister, Mthuli Ncube, to prioritise the improvement of salaries and benefits of civil servants when he presents the 2022 national Budget next month.
The Committee recommended that civil servants’ salaries and monthly pension payouts should be pegged above the poverty datum line (PDL).
According to the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, the cost of living for a family of six is nearly ZWL$50 000.
It recommended Ncube to focus on growing the revenue base so as to offer some relief to Government workers, “for example tapping into taxing the informal sector”.
The Committee also said Ncube should address inconsistencies in the currencies being used in the country which has seen fuel and rentals being charged in US dollars, while salaries remain in Zimbabwe dollars.
It further recommended that the US$50 per week foreign currency facility being disbursed through Bureaux de Change should be made available through the mainstream banking sector to make it accessible to all.
Additionally, the Committee recommended that Ncube should consider introducing mobile Bureau de Changes to cater for rural areas.
It added that the 2022 national Budget should allocate more funding towards supporting social welfare programmes targeting vulnerable groups, particularly persons with disabilities.
The Committee recommended that the creation of an electronic database of persons with disabilities should be prioritised.
[The Herald]