Maravi

Withdraw pay rise, Wina urges Rupiah

Withdraw pay rise, Wina urges Rupiah
By Chibaula Silwamba, Speedwell Mupuchi and Zumani Katasefa
Monday August 04, 2008 [04:00]

SIKOTA Wina yesterday asked Vice-President Rupiah Banda to reconsider and withdraw Cabinet's approval of salary and allowance increments for constitutional office holders. And former Republican vice-president Nevers Mumba described as an immoral move the proposal by Cabinet to increase salaries for constitutional office holders.

In an interview in Lusaka, Wina, who was minister of local government in Zambia's first Cabinet after independence in 1964, said the increment of salaries and allowances for ministers, their deputies and other constitutional office holders was unjustifiable because their conditions of service were already good enough to enable them live comfortably.

"It doesn't make sense to me. I go back a few years; immediately after attainment of independence, the first thing which we as Cabinet did was to introduce a bill in Parliament to reduce our own salaries by a certain percentage in order to indicate how serious we took the poverty levels in this country at that time," Wina explained. "We said that that money will promote development. That spirit of sacrifice should never have been allowed to die in this country."

He said leaders should not set examples of demanding higher salaries when the majority of Zambians were wallowing in poverty.
"I know that every year the civil servants have been struggling to have their salary increments which we have always told them they cannot have because the economy cannot afford to have those increments," said Wina, who is also Energy Regulation Board (ERB) chairperson.

"Now, after having told civil servants that, how do we turn round and say we as Cabinet we are giving ourselves as ministers and deputy ministers hefty increments of 15 per cent on top of all the other privileges of free accommodation, motor vehicles, petrol fuel, talk time, security guards, cooks, drivers etc. How do you justify that? So it is completely wrong and I would request the Vice-President Rupiah Banda to reconsider this matter."

Wina said ministers, their deputies and other constitutional officer holders had good salaries.

"Quite frankly, I think that in all fairness salaries which the ministers and deputy ministers are earning today are sufficient to make anybody in this country live fairly comfortable, especially taking into account the degree of unemployment and suffering in this country. Their salaries today are more than adequate to make anybody live in comfort," he said.

Wina said Cabinet's decision indicated that it misplaced its priority.
"It's placing of wrong priority, wrong timing and reading the situation very badly," said Wina. "The prosperity in this country is so superficial; people talk about opening of the mines, this and that, alright that is opening of the mines but the economy of this country is not as prosperous as people think it is."

And pastor Mumba said in his view, the proposed increment was an ill-conceived and ill-timed effort by Cabinet.

"I am totally opposed to the levels, they don't relate to anything economically," pastor Mumba said. "It's an immoral move. It's unnecessary to cause further distress among Zambians who are suffering so much to start seeing their ministers who have free fuel, cell phones, housing, electricity, have more money."

Pastor Mumba said there was no need for further stress. "Cabinet should be sensitive to know the mood of the country," he said.
Pastor Mumba said having been in several meetings, he knew that President Levy Mwanawasa was opposed to positions of raising perks for constitutional offices to unreasonable levels.

"Yes, the President and Vice-President and Cabinet ministers' salaries are embarrassing compared to the rest of the region but the amount they have raised is an immoral amount considering what is prevailing in the Zambian economy," he said. "How do we explain the continued problem at the (University of Zambia) UNZA where lecturers have been crying for consideration for sometime and they are told there is no money?

How do you explain to the farmer when fertiliser prices have gone high and you increase a salary from K8 million to K25 million? How do you reconcile poverty levels among Zambians to the level of salaries being proposed? There is no relationship between current economic situation of Zambians and the proposed increased salaries."

Pastor Mumba said when he was vice-president, the President's salary was K8 million and he as vice-president was entitled to K4 million.

He said some measure of increment could be justified for the leaders in government but not to the levels proposed.

"The levels are unacceptable to Zambians and any moral person. I am sure the President would have some problem with such increments," he said. "There was precedence, when MMD came into power and the President was vice-president, as leader of government business, they found that UNIP government had given themselves hefty retirement packages and under the hand of leader of government, those things were suspended and that is probably the reason why some leaders went without receiving something. If they did that, why can't we do the same?"

Pastor Mumba said it would be wrong to compare the salary of the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) Governor to that of a minister.

He said the Governor's salary comes from outside resources and not wholly from the Zambian taxpayer's salary.

"At the same time, to be President, Vice-President, minister is to be number one a servant of the people, not CEOs in Enron or private companies where they make huge profits to be consumed on themselves," said Pastor Mumba.

And UPND national youth chairman Joe Kalusa said people in leadership should learn to sacrifice.

Kalusa described the move to approve salary and allowance increments as criminal.

Kalusa said it was shocking to hear that Cabinet had approved salary increments to constitutional office holders and government officials when the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University (CBU) were in dire need of finances to strengthen their operations.

"As UPND we are disappointed and shocked by the proposed increments. How selfish are these leaders, awarding themselves hefty allowances when the country is facing very serious problems?

We totally condemn this move. It is not only unfair but also criminal," he said. "We know that mine owners have started paying the mineral loyalties so this is the same money they want to start sharing at the expense of poor Zambians."

He added that Zambians especially civil servants should starting enjoying the money raised from mineral loyalties.

Kalusa said money from the mineral loyalties should go towards sponsoring under privileged students in colleges and universities.
According to an official document obtained by The Post, Cabinet approved a 15 per cent salary increment for constitutional office holders.

Cabinet also approved the introduction of a Responsibility Allowance, which shall be paid to the President, Vice-President, ministers and deputy ministers.

They also approved increment in the rates of allowances currently being paid to ministers, deputy ministers and senior government officials by 50 per cent of basic salary for housing allowance and 100 per cent for telephone, cell phone, water and electricity allowances.

Labels: CABINET, RUPIAH BANDA, SIKOTA WINA

posted by MrK @ 4:03 AM