News / National
Biti pledges to join civil servants the next time they demonstrate
26 Jul 2012 at 13:56hrs | Views
Finance Minister Tendai Biti says he will join civil servants the next time they demonstrate against failure by the government to review their salaries to show that he appreciates their grieviances.
Addressing the Senate here Wednesday on the mid-term budget which he presented to Parliament last week, he added that civil servants should, however, also appreciate that the government was struggling to raise money to pay their salaries.
"I notice that there was a demonstration for pay increase. Nobody can question that they deserve a review but civil servants must also reflect honestly that a situation where 73 per cent of the country's income is going towards 235,000 people, leaving 27 per cent to go to 14 million people, does not balance," he said.
"Next time they demonstrate I am going to join them so that we go to the Ministry of Mines and look for our money from diamonds," he said, adding that the demonstration should then proceed to the Defence Ministry, which he accuses of illegally recruiting people.
"I cannot wait for the next demonstration because I am going to join them, but we will start with the Ministry of Finance."
Biti said when presenting the mid-term budget that revenue collection was below target, which necessitated a downward review of the US$4.0 billion 2012 budget by 10 per cent.
Civil servants, who have not had an upward salary review since the beginning of the year, are demanding that government should review their salaries in the face of the rising cost of living. The civil servants presented a petition to Parliament appealing to the MPs not to pass Biti's budget review.
Government employees are demanding a minimum salary of US$564 for the least paid worker and 15 per cent of the basic salary as rural allowance. The least paid is currently getting around US$296 a month.
Addressing the Senate here Wednesday on the mid-term budget which he presented to Parliament last week, he added that civil servants should, however, also appreciate that the government was struggling to raise money to pay their salaries.
"I notice that there was a demonstration for pay increase. Nobody can question that they deserve a review but civil servants must also reflect honestly that a situation where 73 per cent of the country's income is going towards 235,000 people, leaving 27 per cent to go to 14 million people, does not balance," he said.
"Next time they demonstrate I am going to join them so that we go to the Ministry of Mines and look for our money from diamonds," he said, adding that the demonstration should then proceed to the Defence Ministry, which he accuses of illegally recruiting people.
Biti said when presenting the mid-term budget that revenue collection was below target, which necessitated a downward review of the US$4.0 billion 2012 budget by 10 per cent.
Civil servants, who have not had an upward salary review since the beginning of the year, are demanding that government should review their salaries in the face of the rising cost of living. The civil servants presented a petition to Parliament appealing to the MPs not to pass Biti's budget review.
Government employees are demanding a minimum salary of US$564 for the least paid worker and 15 per cent of the basic salary as rural allowance. The least paid is currently getting around US$296 a month.
Source - New Ziana
