Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube says the government cannot afford to peg civil servants’ salaries at the prevailing US-RTGS interbank rates.
Speaking to reporters during the anti-sanctions rally at the National Sports Stadium on Friday, Ncube argued that the government would go bust if it gives in to civil servants’ demands. He said:
We cannot afford to do it, where is the exchange rate now? 1:15? Can you imagine if we were to multiply those salaries by a factor of 1 to 15 which is what I am hearing?
We would rather do it in a sustainable way, in a gradual way and I think we have tried our best, we cannot afford it. As a government, we will bust.
Doctors at the country’s public hospitals, who have been on strike for over a month, have demanded that the government reverts to their USD salaries and convert them at the interbank rate.
Members of the Amalgamated Rural Teachers’ Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ) have also demanded interbank rate-indexed salaries.
Let’s try to be comrades of association, government workers must be treated fairly. These guys are getting nuts
True Comrade imagine what do u do with 600RTGS in this day. But the authorities are living large paying themselves USD and seeking treatment overseas using the USD which they are refusing to pay suffering workers. This gvt is heartless indeed.
Ko nhai Mthuli what happened to the surplus you were bragging about? And the extra now being fleeced from the people through zesa? We all know zesa can accumulate trillions of rtgs and its not going to help its situation in any way. The trillions will not miraculously wake up next day turned into forex, which is what is needed to fix zesa’s woes. So were then will this rtgs go? The problem with crafting too much is that the whole govt ends up looking like a joke. A civil servant’s salary is now buying 2 large packets of tissues!!! What a joke. In Hitler’s words..’brain of a lizard’
Not a if the eu can help it , manangagwas new buddies no wonder there is brexit
l wonder where he got his education!!!Please Mr Mtuli take a seat and analyse your policies. They are inflationary and leading our country to a great economic recession. Very low civil servants salaries means low demand equals low production , massive unemployment and civil disobedience.Please resign.
Zim problems can be resolved by 50% in short period through good governance. This does not cost money but needs committed leadership, which is lacking in Zim