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Pamela Shumba Senior Reporter
THE government has finished compiling a report setting salary scales for all state enterprises, parastatals and local authorities, a Cabinet Minister said yesterday.
In a statement, Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo, said the report was compiled by Cabinet in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the State Enterprises Restructuring Agents (Sera).
“At its ninth meeting held on November 26, 2013, Cabinet directed the chief secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) to look into the issue of corporate governance and remuneration levels for chief executive officers (CEOs) of all state enterprises, parastatals and local authorities and to come up with an appropriate remuneration policy framework,” said Prof Moyo.
“Government wishes to inform the public that a comprehensive and detailed preliminary report covering all state enterprises, parastatals and local authorities has since been compiled by the OPC working in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the Sera.” Prof Moyo said the report would this week be scrutinised by the Cabinet committee.
“Today Cabinet has referred the report for a case-by-case review and scrutiny this week by the Cabinet Committee on state enterprises and parastatals chaired by Honourable Minister Patrick Chinamasa.
“After the review, the report is expected to be presented to Cabinet next week for a government decision on immediate and long-term measures and processes to redress the state of malaise that has given rise to widespread media reports about corrupt salaries and allowances in most state enterprises, parastatals and local authorities,” he said.
He added: “Under the direction of His Excellency the President, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe, government is unreservedly committed to leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the state of the malaise in public enterprises and local authorities is uprooted in order to transform these entities from being a burden to the state and the broader economy to revenue generators, engines for economic growth and catalysts for sustainable socio-economic transformation and development.”
Obscene salaries of CEOs and top management at state institutions hit the headlines recently after it emerged that former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) boss Happison Muchechetere was earning a basic monthly salary of more than $27,000 and monthly allowances for housing at $3,500 per month, $2,500 in domestic workers’ wages, $3,000 for entertainment and a general allowance of $3,000.
Premier Service Medical Aid Society (PSMAS) CEO Cuthbert Dube was earning a shocking salary of $230,000 per month. Dube, who was fired as ZBC board chairperson after the revelations of obscene salaries at the State broadcaster, was also booted out of PSMAS.
It was revealed that half of the PSMAS wage bill of $33,4 million in 2012 was paid to 14 managers.
The group finance manager earned a basic salary of $200,000, followed by group operations executive at $122,000.
The City of Harare executives also found themselves on the front pages of local media which revealed that 18 managers were gobbling up close to $500,000 in monthly salaries. The salaries for the top management ranged from $37,642 allegedly earned by Town Clerk Tendai Mahachi to $33,413, while middle managers earned between $12,000 and $17,000.
The boards of these and other entities have since been dissolved, with members of the public calling for in-depth investigations.
Online Reporter