SSB to pay diplomats’ salaries

Diana Nherera Harare Bureau
THE government is considering having salaries of foreign missions channelled through the Salary Service Bureau (SSB) to ensure that all employment costs are captured at the same time.

Presenting oral evidence to the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs at Parliament on Tuesday, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Willard Manungo, said the government was concerned with the welfare of foreign missions.

“We’re two months behind in terms of salaries and arrears are close to US$10 million,” he said.

“Currently, we carry out disbursements directly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the diplomatic service.

“We’re now in discussions and are considering everyone under the SSB platform so that when dealing with employment costs we then have a situation where all costs of those within the country and those on foreign missions are captured at the same time.

“So, there’re moves to try and have a situation where we process all employment costs within the country and those on foreign missions are captured at the same time.”

Manungo said there is need to ensure that foreign missions are adequately funded and Treasury strives to address some of the challenges that they face.

“If we don’t adequately service the missions, then we’re incapacitating them and they won’t be able to do what they should.”

Manungo said the government values the political and business benefits drawn from diplomatic presence as an instrument of generating business in the 43 countries that they are based.