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Albert Nhamoyebonde
What is the missing link? It is the law governing remuneration in public institutions. Who makes the laws? It is Parliament. In the USA, the Obama administration, supported by Congress, passed laws to curb excessive salaries and bonuses in private companies after these companies were forced to approach government for bailout money.
To prevent the collapse of these companies, the government then insisted, as a condition of the bailout loans, that the salaries and bonuses had to be regulated.
Laws to this effect were passed by the US Congress.
In Zimbabwe, most of these entities that are paying outrageous salaries depend on support from the Ministry of Finance. Why should the ordinary taxpayer be asked to support such entities which do not contribute to the general well-being of the population?
There have been reports to the effect that Parliament is failing to get business to debate and pass laws. Surely, the outcry over excessive salaries should have produced laws to curb this menace like what happened in the USA.
Who is being protected by this inaction?
It is a sad situation, where the professionals in Zimbabwe are wallowing in poverty while a few, whose only fame is to be hand-picked for such cushy jobs, are paying themselves insane salaries.
Parliament should urgently pass laws against excessive salaries in parastatals or any government-supported entities. It is fine if anyone can start their own companies and pay themselves whatever they want but not a public utility company.
When laws defining salaries in public bodies are made by Parliament, it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Finance to enforce such laws through regulations.
Every ministry of government should be answerable to the Ministry of Finance.
I remember years ago, when President Mugabe spoke about salary increases. He said that he had to be guided by the Ministry of Finance. If the President can defer to the Ministry of Finance, why is it that a mere medical society, supported by government, should do whatever it wants without permission from the Ministry of Finance?
It is hard to believe.
Yesterday, it was the ZBC, now it is Premier Service Medical Aid Society, tomorrow it is the city councils.
What is happening in our country? Can anyone blame the professionals who are leaving to go and offer their services elsewhere? They go where their services are appreciated and where salaries are properly regulated.
There are booklets on how salaries are pegged in the UK and Japan. Can the Ministry of Finance come up with a booklet on how salaries are pegged in Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe should have a system where there are laws governing remuneration of employees in public-supported entities.
Where the whole salaries issue defies any logic is when the ordinary employee suffers together with the majority of the people that support the Government.
When one looks at footballers earning millions of dollars, we marvel at the huge salaries.
Those clubs are owned by private individuals who are looking at pleasure as pastime, not to make money which they have made already.
Imagine Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, donating US100 million of his money to fight HIV/Aids. Whatever he is paid or what the top executives in his company are paid, is immaterial. It is his money but not public companies in Zimbabwe, which is still a developing country.
What then is the solution to the exorbitant salaries issue?
The ball is in the court of Parliament that should pass laws against the practice of looting public funds from public bodies.
Any unauthorised salaries must be paid back to the entities and the culprits charged with embezzlement of funds. The courts must be empowered by Parliament to mete out severe sentences to deter the practice of looting public finances through excessive salary awards.
Government should not accommodate such companies with any financial support or licences and force those implicated to resign and face the law.
If any executives want to earn high salaries, they should go elsewhere and market themselves. Public companies require sober-minded executives who are prepared to work for the good of the country.
At the end of the day, it is the Government’s image that suffers at the hands of a few greedy individuals. The public will always blame the ruling party for not taking action through Parliament and the Government.
Online Reporter