COMMENT - Another neoliberal attack on the middle class.
Civil servants, workers' unions cry foul
Saturday, 26 November 2011 00:00
Herald Reporters
CIVIL servants and labour unions yesterday said Finance Minister Tendai Biti's 2012 National Budget failed to address their concerns. Workers said the manner in which the budget was structured showed there was nothing for them. In the US$4 billion budget, Minister Biti moved the tax threshold by US$25, up from US$225 and revised upwards the tax-free bonus threshold from US$500 to US$700.
Zimbabwe Teachers Association chief executive Mr Sifiso Ndlovu said workers should brace for hard-times. "This is equivalent to freezing salaries. From the figures, if by chance we get an increment then it means it will be modest," he said.
"Our input from the consultation process has been ignored and the minister is not willing to part with more money on salaries," he said.
Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe chief executive Mr Manuel Nyawo said:
"The budget failed to address the plight of the people who matter most in Government. He has denied us an increment but he is not a father figure in Government and we are going to request for the timely intervention of President Mugabe the way he did a few months ago."
Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Mr Raymond Majongwe said:
"If it (budget) passes through, it means MPs and ministers will be baptising a process that is injuring our lifestyle."
In ruling out any increment, Minister Biti said civil service remuneration had been gobbling around US$1,8 million since July this year, which was about 63 percent of the total budget.
Labour unions had no kind words for Minister Biti.
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions secretary-general Mr Bernard Danda said the Government had again failed to respect the workers.
"Even the tax-free bonus is not realistic. The salaries of many workers are between US$200 and US$300 and it means most of them will not get the US$700," he said.
"He should deal with what is on the ground, not playing to the gallery with other people's minds."
Mr Lovemore Matombo, leader of a faction of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, said Minister Biti failed to realise that an increase in disposable income propels economic growth.
"People are still below the PDL yet any form of development is based on disposable income. The same suffering people are still being taxed and one wonders what kind of politics is being played," he said.
Mavambo Kusile Dawn leader Dr Simba Makoni, said Minister Biti sought to please everyone instead of prioritising a few projects and complete them.
He said while the minister's situational analysis of the economic situation was correct, he did not adequately give prescriptions of what ought to be done.
Dr Makoni was Minister of Finance between 2000 and 2002.
"The statement was full of attractive sound bites, like greening the economy, pro-poor, job creation, youth empowerment, sustainable development and you will find these nice words dotted all over the statement, but what is missing in the discussion is what needs to be done and by who," he said.
"That recognition is not matched by action, there is a big gap between the pronouncement and action."
He said two objectives a national budget sought to achieve were provision of expenditure and a roadmap of short, medium and long-term implementation.
"The minister aims to please everyone but ends up failing to please anyone. He is spreading the small envelope all over. It's an appeasement without impact," he said.
Dr Makoni said the US$50 million allocated for Tokwe-Mukosi Dam will not make any impact as the project requires US$2 billion.
The budget, he said, was also silent on how the country will deal with the national debt.
The absence of a provision of elections, said Dr Makoni, demonstrated that it was not feasible to hold polls next year.
"There are two major events next year, the referendum and population census and I don't think the country can hold three major events," he said.
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