Pay civil servants now! -Kamlepo

Rumphi East MP Kamlepo Kalua (People’s Party-PP)took government to task in parliament on on Tuesday June 30, 2015 to speed up the process to pay civil servants their June salary.

The civil servants expect to receive their salaries by the 27 day of every month, but mostly they are paid late.

Treasury said this month’s delay was due to end of financial year processes such as closing of financial books and preparations for the 2015/16 financial year. Government’s financial year ends on June 30.

But Kalua in parliament asked government to ensure the civil servants are priotised in their payment of salaries.

Said Kalua: “Last year’s budget ends on June 30 and our understanding is that the salaries we are talking about here were supposed to come from that budget, but now we are faced with a situation whereby, from Wednesday, July 1, the new budget becomes operational and if the minister draws last month’s payments from the 2015/16 budget he will contravene the laws according to the Public Finance Management Act.”

He asked Finance Minister to explain the reasons behind delayed salaries despite the House having duly passed the 2015/16 National Budget last week.

“How do you expect civil servants to survive without money? It is unacceptable,” Kamlepo told Nyasa Times later in an interview.

“Money should be put in good use to pay civil servants not spending in mapwevupwevu (banquents at State House),” he added.

Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Goodall Gondwe assured the House that civil servants   affected by delayed payments to their accounts would be paid by the end of the week.