Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning Jonas Shakafuswa has disclosed that ministers and other senior government officials have not yet started receiving their 16 per cent salary increment because government has to pay farmers who sold their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
And Mr. Shakafuswa has urged farmers who have not yet been paid by FRA to be
patient, assuring them that they would be fully paid their moneys despite the delays
that may occur.
He said government was so committed to pay farmers their dues that it even delayed
in effecting the 16 per cent salary increment for ministers.
“Some of the senior government officials, ministers haven’t received the 16 per cent
salary increase. Government has not paid them, we said no, the money must go to
farmers first. We want to be responsible,” he said.
Mr. Shakafuwa said today that government delayed in paying off farmers because of
irregular collections of revenue.
He explained that it was rare that government would have the money readily available
to purchase maize from farmers but it would provide an estimated budget, which would
only be fulfilled when moneys were collected.
He said government was however committed to pay farmers but urged them to sell some
of their products to genuine and committed private partners.
“When money is available, then we will pay the farmers. We want them to be paid,” he
said.
And Mr. Shakafuswa said the shortage of cement in the country was due to increased
activities in the construction industry around the country.
He said however that the shortage would be eased when Chilanga Cement PLC doubles
its production by the end of this year.
The Deputy Minister observed that increased activities in the construction industry
were an indicator that the country’s economy was growing.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shakafuswa said government has not properly handled the issue of
infrastructure development in the country but quickly pointed out that corrective
measure were being put in place.
He said government has been losing billions of Kwacha in paying contractors who in
turn end up abandoning road projects.
He said government would ensure that contractors who do the country a disservice did
not get any more contracts.
A number of road projects around the country have been abandoned by contractors who
allege that the Ministry of Finance has failed to pay them for their works.
The current minister’s pay in Zed is well above what he or she needs to lead a comfortable ministerial life. That 16% increase is not justified. GRZ pliz be useful…raise enough money for paying medical personel and teachers wages good enough to attract them to rural areas, and to man the health centres in urban areas as well.
why do these uneducated ministers get so much money for doing nothing? They get millions for moving our country backwards,what abt the average zambian? Zambia will never develop as long as we continue having leader who dont have the heart for developing mother zambia,all they care abt is themselves,n you zambians,next time vote for someone who has quality not for your relative or someone who buys u beer!!
those who are sayin that the MMD GOVERNMENT is nt doin any thing are nothin bt fools.the problem with zambian pipo is they do apreciate.