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Herald Reporters

GOVERNMENT has granted pensioners a cost of living adjustment, which will be paid with effect from next month and backdated to January.

The adjustment will be announced at a later date. Last year, public service pensioners were getting between $80 and $235 monthly.

Secretary for the Public Service Commission, Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe said in a statement yesterday: “The Public Service Commission notifies Government pensioners that procedures relating to the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for all pensioners have been finalised and will be effected in March 2020, backdated to January 2020.”

Meanwhile, Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Minister Professor Paul Mavima told our Bulawayo Bureau yesterday that Government remained committed to improving the living conditions of civil servants and pensioners through continued engagements and reviews.

“The monetary environment has not been stable,” he said.

“We have to constantly look at the allowances of pensioners, as well as the salaries and wages of current civil servants and continuously improve them in light of upward trends in the cost of living,” he said.

Prof Mavima said Government will continue to ensure that the needs of civil servants were catered for, to ensure a motivated and committed workforce for excellent service delivery.

He said the cost of living adjustment will continue to be provided while other avenues were being sought to ensure that the welfare of civil servants, both retired and in service were catered for.

“Motivation of the civil servants is an important variable for service delivery,” said Prof Mavima.

“As such, if we need optimal levels of performance from those in the civil service, we have to keep them motivated, through among other factors, providing constant cost of living adjustments.”