Chinamasa says there is no guarantee on salaries for civil servants

Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said yesterday there was no quick fix to sustainability or the capacity to maintain meeting the government’s commitments to civil servants salaries.

“We have to ramp up production so that we broaden the tax base and only then, can we ensure that we have a sustainable source of meeting our wage obligations and also our international obligations,” he said

Chinamasa was responding to a question by Dorcas Sibanda who wanted to know what mechanisms the Ministry of Finance was putting in place for the consistency of pay days for civil servants so that this did not affect their budgets.

The government this week moved forward payments dates for civil servants but did not give any reasons, but it is understood that it has no money.

“I think that we should be congratulated that we are meeting our commitments even under very difficult circumstances. There is no quick fix to sustainability or the capacity to maintain meeting our commitments,” Chinamasa said.

Several people have taunted the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front for failing to meet its election promises including turning around the economy.

Q &A:

MS. D. SIBANDA: Thank you very much Mr. Speaker Sir. My question is directed to the Minister of Finance and Economic Development who is also responsible for salaries of the civil servants. Hon. Minister, I have noted of late that the dates of pay days of the civil servants have been changing. What mechanisms are you putting in place for the consistency of the pay days of the civil servants so that it does not affect their budget?

THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (MR. CHINAMASA): I think that we should be congratulated that we are meeting our commitments even under very difficult circumstances. There is no quick fix to sustainability or the capacity to maintain meeting our commitments. We have to ramp up production so that we broaden the tax base and only then, can we ensure that we have a sustainable source of meeting our wage obligations and also our international obligations.

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