Civil servants are set to get pay rise by end of the month, Minister of Finance Mthuli Ncube has revealed.
Giving evidence on currency reform and reintroduction of the Zimbabwe dollar before the Parliament Budget and Finance Committee, Minister Mthuli said the ministry was finalising talks with the Public Service Commission (PSC) on the wage increase.
“We will definitely adjust the salaries for civil servants to cushion them against the inflation and the reduction in purchasing power of their salaries.
“We are finalising our discussions with the Ministry and PSC do that we can eventually implement this strategy. This should be done by end of July,” said Minister Mthuli.
Salaries of most civil servants in the country have eroded by wanton increases in prices of goods and services.
Concurring, Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Finance George Guvamatanga said the idea was already in the pipeline before announcement of S1 142 of 2019.
“Even before the promulgation of SI 142, as government we had already pro-actively started a process of engagement with APEX council with a view of looking on how we can cushion the civil servants against the rising inflation.
“There is a number that was already on the table in terms of what the government was offering,” explained Guvamatanga.
He highlighted that the government was also working on several non-monitory benefits for civil servants to assist them pull through the economic challenges the country is facing.
“There are non-monitory benefits that the government have provided to the civil servants. These include housing loans, stands, duty free importation of motor vehicles, medical aid, pension and transport,” he said.
He revealed the government had recently bought twenty buses to ease transport problems for civil workers.
“There are a number of buses that we have been purchasing through PSC. Over the past month, we have purchased twenty buses mainly to transport civil servants.”
Government in April announced a $400 million cost of living adjustment package for civil servants which saw the lowest paid civil servant taking home RTGS$300.
