Malawi govt risks bankruptcy if it grants civil servants salary increase -Report

Malawi government risks being declared bankrupt if it goes on to grant civil servants salary increase as the country’s public service salaries and wages are set to slide over the internationally recognised standard cut-off point of eight percent of gross domestic product (GDP), experts have warned.

Gondwe: Already presented his budget
Gondwe: Already presented his budget

The Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) has given the government a 21-day ultimatum to act on their demand for salary increment.

CSTU Secretary General Madalitso Njolomole said Monday that the civil servants feel betrayed by their employer, the government, on the salary revision for the 2015/16 financial year.

“The information we have from the Treasury indicates that government will not honour what was agreed during the salary negotiations revision,” he said.

He said the body wants the government to honour and implement the salary adjustments during the next financial year which starts on July 1.

Njolomole however warned that failure to honour the demand shall lead to a nationwide industrial action in the entire civil service including teachers and health workers.

But Catholic University head of economics department Gilbert Kachamba has observed that the country’s tax base is “very small” and any increase in salary expenditure would lead government into bankruptcy.

“Salaries should be in line with the national income. Looking at the current economic situation, it is not appropriate that the nation should suffer because government wants to pay somebody,” Kachamba said as quoted in The Nation of Wednesday June 3.

Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) national secretary Chris Chisoni is also quoted by the paper, saying there is no moral justification for CSTU’s demands.

“The demands that civil servants are making must also reflect the other demands from Malawians on the fulfilment of the right to development. Government must do what it has the capacity to do and this must be balanced with other priorities,” Chisoni said.

Ministry of Finance spokesperson Nations Msowoya said at the moment Treasury is not making any effort to meet the demands of the civil servants.

Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe presented to Parliament for deliberation a K901.6 billion (US$2.1 billion) national budget in which government seeks to increase the annual salaries and wages from the current K198 billion (US$440 million) to K228 billion (US$506.7 million), which would result in 25 percent of the financial plan being spent on salaries and wages for less than 200 000 public servants out of 16 million people.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
51 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
kazeze
9 years ago

A Petros ndi Brunettie, ndinu zitsilu za anthu. Nanga inu ma civil servant mukugwila nchito yanji ngati development yayima in all sectors? Kumangolandila ndalama basi? Infact Government should review its man power requirement against delivery of service which is close to zero at the moment. I don’t want to pay anybody through my tax for doing nothing let alone increasing salaries when service delivery is grounding to a halt, what nonsense.. Mr minister of finance please stand your ground on this one. For once you got it right.

Kenkkk
Kenkkk
9 years ago

You are telling us donor confidence is back, so the govt should have money to pay salary increases.

Petros
Petros
9 years ago

You catholic people ndinu zitsilu.hw can act against salary increment for your friends and relatives. Musandipemphetso chakhumi changa

falliot phiri
9 years ago

less than 200 000 civil servants serves 16.5 million people , hence government must care the civil servants if it is to achieve its development goals. money for development can not be money for salaries. even in the budget itself, we have money for development projects indicated already in the budget, a figure for pay rise is also indicated seperately, our ministerr of finance already knew all issues of tax base and GDP. CONSIDER PAY RISE CIVIL SERVANTS PLEASE.

Concerned health provider
Concerned health provider
9 years ago

This bitter council would be easier to heed had this same government not voted legislators, president and advisers HUGE salary increases and justified them as serving the poor in their constituencies.

WaNakabaghe
WaNakabaghe
9 years ago

Imwe mukuti salary itsakwere ndimwe vyakufuntha nkhanira. Zinthu zikwere mtengo salary otsakwera! Chamba etii? Kandani iwe chisoni pamsana pako. Tizadya kwanu ife?

Gift Innocent Daka
Gift Innocent Daka
9 years ago

The govt must also consider the right to development of other jobless citizens because an increase in salary and wages will lead to small allocation of funds to development activities

Winston chide
9 years ago

Malawi for sale

Davie mwale
9 years ago

Zamkutu ife atipatse incrment yathuyo as they promised

hendrina
9 years ago

tiyeni nazoni

Read previous post:
Don’t be egg shelled, Malawi academia told

Legal issues commentator and Justice Link Executive Director Justin Dzonzi has backed the remarks by President Peter Mutharika call for...

Close