Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has revealed that he has awarded a generous increase to the salaries and sitting allowances for legislators.
The increase is with effect from the 1st of July 2022.
Legislators have been complaining over their salaries and sitting allowances for some time which they said were no longer enough.
Unconfirmed reports said the legislators were getting around ZW$72 000 in monthly salaries and about ZW$700 as sitting allowance for each day they sit on Parliament business.
Responding to an inquiry from Norton legislator Temba Mliswa, the Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda confirmed that there is a substantial increase.
‘’I am aware of what has been done following the meeting between the Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Development on the welfare of Honourable Members of Parliament and generally government at large.
‘’I do not think I will be privileged to announce what has been agreed to and I do not know whether the Honourable Minister may also want to announce that at this point in time.
‘’What I know is a substantial increase has been agreed to as well as an increase in your sitting allowances effective 1st July 2022. So, something has been agreed to.
‘’I think at the appropriate time, the Honourable Minister will make some pronouncements, not only for us here but for the entire State,’’ he said.
They have been awarded a very good increase.
Speaking on the same issues Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube confirmed the news to the legislators.
‘’Thank you, Mr. Speaker Sir. You have summarised it well. Maybe only to add that our three areas of focus for Honourable Members of this august House.
“They have been awarded a very good increase in the salary and basically putting them on a contributory medical insurance scheme which we are introducing as well as an increase in the sitting allowance. We are going to do those three areas,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Honourable Mudenda said although he could not divulge the figures in Parliament, they were good, especially looking at the current rate of inflation in the country.
‘’Someone is shouting when I had said with effect from 1st July 2022. I have the figures and I have been told and I think they are very reasonable in the circumstances of hyper-inflation.
‘’That is all I can say for the time being but there has been some progress in terms of what the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has done.
‘’I do not think that I can doubt what I have been told by the Honourable Minister. Let you judge by the action you will see beginning 1st of July 2022,’’ he said.
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