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Oliver Kazunga

Bulawayo Bureau
Civil servants have been reassured that they will get this year’s bonuses next month, Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said yesterday.

In an interview after touring a food manufacturing and processing firm here, Prof Ncube said: “Since we came in as the New Dispensation, we have not failed to pay the civil servants their normal salaries on  time.

“Secondly, we have not failed to pay them their bonus on time, so there should be no question about that. We will pay their normal bonus, and of late of course, we have been negotiating with civil   servants.

“They are receiving the 40 percent adjustment to their core salary and we are continuing with the US$75 payment per month under the Covid-19 allowance.

That is carrying on and health sector workers are getting a further top-up being for those that are in the frontline in terms of Covid-19.”

Prof Ncube said for the health sector, there was a four-tier system, with the first tier earning $6 000, the next tier about $3 750, the other tier about $2 500 and the last tier about $1 500.

This is in addition to the 40 percent adjustment and US$75 payment per month, which is now converted to the local currency on the prevailing exchange rate.

Prof Ncube said the 13th cheque will be paid next month.

Meanwhile, Government has said negotiations for a salary increment involving the National Joint Negotiating Council were underway and any agreement to be arrived at would be announced soon.

Government has a history of negotiating with its workers in good faith and it is hoped that any salary increment the parties negotiate will not work against the price and exchange rate stability achieved in the last few months.

Before the introduction of a Dutch foreign currency system by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, more than $8 billion was circulating outside the formal monetary systems, resulting in price increases and forex exchange rate instability.