President Peter Mutharika has promised civil servants a pay hike every year.
President Mutharika speaking to female civil servants in Mzuzu
Mutharika was speaking Friday at Mzuzu State Lodge when he appeared briefly at a luncheon First Lady hosted for lady civil servants in the northern region.
“I promise you every year I will be raising the salary for civil servants. If I am in government after next year, I will make this promise happen,” said Mutharika.
He described the civil service as the engine for driving the society and that the 10 percent increment government effected last year was not enough.
“When I see civil servants I see people who are working so hard to transform our country. We are making progress in this country because of you,” he said.
He asked civil servants to be proud of themselves and the sacrifice they make to the nation.
“I started working as a young man in the Ministry of Agriculture, then I went to the Ministry of Labour; so I know what it is to be a civil servant because my father, too, was a civil servant,” he said.
The President said he will also ensure that civil servants have access to low interest loans, adding that teachers are already accessing loans from Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (MEDEF).
Mutharika said that he will also make sure that civil servants are able to live in decent houses that they
can rent and purchase.
He assured civil servants that since the economy has improved, government has resumed promoting civil servants and recruiting new staff.
“When I took over government in 2014 the economy was bad, it was almost bankrupt but today we have reduced inflation,” he said.
“I know some have upgraded themselves but they are at the same grade. I want to tell you that we are
reviewing this issue.
“On issues of promotion, we are doing our best within the limited resources to make sure that we collect
the situation,” Mutharika said.
Speaking earlier, Northern Region Lady Civil Servants Chairperson Sekani Gondwe asked the President
for promotions saying most employees have been at the same grade for a long time despite others upgrading their qualifications.
