Business / Local
War erupts within IMPI over unpaid allowances
25 Mar 2015 at 06:19hrs | Views
MEMBERS of the Information Media Panel of Inquiry (IMPI) are holding on to Samsung smart phones and iPads they were given as they try to force official to pay them outstanding allowances.
IMPI was set up by Information Minister Jonathan Moyo and handpicked what he called senior journalists and editors from both the private and State media and musicians to embark on an media inquiry.
Twenty four panelists were each given hefty daily allowances of $300 when conducting business.
IMPI was funded to the tune of $1,6 million by the government.
The inquiry has since ended and IMPI chairman Geoff Nyarota is demanding the gadgets back.
He wrote letters to each panelist this week requesting the gargets.
"The IMPI chairman wrote to panelists asking us to surrender the phones and iPads we were issued with when the project started.
‘However, some of us have also asked the organisation to settle our outstanding allowances" said one of the panelists to NewsDay.
"Panelists did not receive their allowances during the travels to regional countries as we were promised we could get them in due course,".
Panelist travelled to as far as Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa during the inquiry to try how the media in those countries were operating and their challenges.
Zanu PF MP Joseph Chinotimba criticitised allowances paid to panelists and queried the relevance of IMPI when the government was failing to pay war veterans their allowances.
IMPI was set up by Information Minister Jonathan Moyo and handpicked what he called senior journalists and editors from both the private and State media and musicians to embark on an media inquiry.
Twenty four panelists were each given hefty daily allowances of $300 when conducting business.
IMPI was funded to the tune of $1,6 million by the government.
The inquiry has since ended and IMPI chairman Geoff Nyarota is demanding the gadgets back.
He wrote letters to each panelist this week requesting the gargets.
"The IMPI chairman wrote to panelists asking us to surrender the phones and iPads we were issued with when the project started.
‘However, some of us have also asked the organisation to settle our outstanding allowances" said one of the panelists to NewsDay.
"Panelists did not receive their allowances during the travels to regional countries as we were promised we could get them in due course,".
Panelist travelled to as far as Tanzania, Kenya, and South Africa during the inquiry to try how the media in those countries were operating and their challenges.
Zanu PF MP Joseph Chinotimba criticitised allowances paid to panelists and queried the relevance of IMPI when the government was failing to pay war veterans their allowances.
Source - NewsDay
