Cabinet Ministers Defer Their Salary Increment Joins President Mutharika and Vice President Chilima
Ministers and Deputy Misters have deferred their recent revealed salary increment until
the economy is normalized but are firm that they will not demand their arrears.
Minister
of Finance Economic Planning and Development Honorable Goodall Gondwe announced
the development on Thursday evening in Lilongwe and said the cabinet minister’s
decision was consensus.
“Following
the decision by the President and the Vice President to forgo their salary
increment, the Ministers and Deputy Ministers also have met and decided that
they too in solidarity with the President and Vice President will not receive
salary increment provided to them until the economy is normalized.” Announced
Gondwe who was accompanied by Minister if Information Tourism and Culture
honorable Kondwani Nankhumwa
He
assured that when the economy is normalized Cabinet Ministers will not ask to have
back their arrears but the envisaged salary increment will only be applicable
to them when it is felt that the economy has been normalized.
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| Cabinet Minister decision will encourage Malawians that their leaders are geared to get economy going |
Godwe
said from this consensus government will save for the next duration of this
financial year which began in October this year a figure “inside” K100 Million.
Though
he said these savings have no power to impact on the economy but the President
and his deputy together with cabinet minister decision will encourage Malawians
that their leaders are geared to get economy going.
He
also dispelled allegations that Ministers had received part of their salary increment
from first of October as was supposed to be. He said Ministers did not get any
salary increment due to administrative issue and nothing else.
The
Ministers decision to defer their salary increment comes amid criticism from various
organizations including Leader of Opposition and Malawi Congress Party President
Honorable Dr. Lazarus Chakwera for Muthrikas decision to approve salary which
he previously denied to do so on basis that the Malawi economy cannot not
support it, however this time the President and his Vice have opted to suspend
theirs, because again, the economy cannot support it.
It
was revealed few days ago that Members of Parliament, Opposition together with Ministers and President and his deputy
have 376%, 168% and 80% salary increment respectively
however Minister of Finance recently clarified that this salary increment was
part of salary harmonization and that current figures are mainly a
reflection of amalgamated basic wage (which was very little) with some of their
allowances and therefore current percentages are misleading Malawians.
Goodall
Gondwe this Thursday also explained that there is no provision that salary
scales should be approved by parliament as stated by Leader of the Opposition recently.
“The only thing that the parliament does is
that, inform of budget approval they approve total wage Bill for everybody that
receives the salaries and wages through the budget and number 1 account what is
also called consolidated account. But after that various scales that are
applicable are not for the parliament to approve so the leader of opposition
does not know about this but he ought to know because he must have attended the
parliamentary commission.”
“The
Leader of Opposition was not factual to say that the matter should have gone to
parliament because that is not the rule.” Said Gondwe while maintaining his
point and indicate that it is only President who has final authority of
approving the salary.
