Civil servants salary increments to be effected this month

CIVIL servants' salary increments will finally be effected by the end of this month despite indications that Treasury's revenue targets for the first quarter of the year are falling short by 6%.

Finance and Economic Development Ministry permanent secretary Willard Manungo told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Finance and Economic Planning yesterday that the government was working towards mobilising resources to fulfil the pledge to increase salaries for its employees.

"The indications are that the salary increment should start reflecting end of April. We are now in the process of mobilising requisite resources," he said.

President Robert Mugabe at one time ordered Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa to look for funds to pay civil servants.

But the government has been failing to effect the agreed increments since January this year due to shortage of funds.

Manungo said civil servants would receive their April salaries backdated to January.

The lowest paid civil servant is expected to get three quarters of the poverty datum line, which was set on $505.

Manungo, however, said revenue targets set in the 2014 National Budget target have not been met.

"Revenue collection for January, February and March is lower than what is envisaged in the budget. We are running 6% below target," he said.

Commenting on plans to restore the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to the lender of last resort status, Manungo said the ministry was currently conducting the validation and verification exercise of the central bank's debt.

"We should finalise this by the end of the first half of the year," he said.

"What we are doing is to go through each and every debt and validate it."

Manungo said the ministry was in the process of clearing the RBZ debt of $1,35 billion.

He said the ministry was now in the process of seeking Parliament's approval for the clearance of the debt.