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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
THE Government will on Friday announce civil servants’ pay dates for this month, with significant improvement expected from the June ones.
Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Prisca Mupfumira told The Chronicle yesterday that she had agreed with Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa on the need to release the pay dates this week. She told a meeting of the Apex Council yesterday that Treasury was working flat out to make sure that the situation improves.
“We met with the civil servants’ leadership to discuss the July pay dates. Unfortunately we’re not yet ready to announce the dates but I assured the civil servants that the dates will be out by the end of
this week.
“I spoke to Minister Chinamasa about the pay dates and we agreed that they should be announced as soon as possible. I want to assure the civil servants that there would be a significant improvement. The dates for previous months were pushed further due to bonus payments,” said Minister Mupfumira.
She reiterated that civil servants should ignore pay dates that are being circulated on social media as they are not correct and originating from people bent on destabilising the country.
Government normally pays its workforce beginning mid-month but has of late been forced to break with tradition owing to revenue challenges.
President Mugabe recently appealed to civil servants to be patient saying the country was faced with an array of challenges that include illegal sanctions, drought as well as the use of the multi-currency system, mainly the US dollar that the country had little control over.
He said the Government would strive to ensure that the problem of delays in salary payments was addressed.
The Government directs nearly $200 million every month towards salaries.
Apex Council president Mrs Cecilia Alexander said they had resolved to wait for the official dates to be announced by the Government.
“We attended the meeting where Minister Mupfumira called us to give an update on how far the Government has gone in mobilising funds for paying civil servants’ salaries. She informed us that the official dates will be out by Friday.
“She also informed us that the dates circulating on social media were false. We have reported the developments to Apex Council and resolved that we wait for the official dates. If there are any issues they will arise from the dates to be given by the government,” said Mrs Alexander.
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