Former Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba has said that he was surprised to hear President Hakainde Hichilema state that no sitting allowances, as was done in the past, will be paid to both Ministers and Permanent Secretaries when they hold a workshop in Lusaka next week.
In a statement posted on social media, Ambassador Mwamba said that sitting allowances were abolished in 2012, and he expected a quick rebuttal or clarification from Cabinet Office.
Mr. Mwamba said that the 2012/13 Policy revised conditions of service and payment of allowances to government officials and it abolished almost all remunerative allowances such as sitting, overtime, lunch, bonuses allowances and consolidated them into a salary.
Below is the full statement
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
I was rather surprised to hear His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema state that no sitting allowances, as was done in the past, will be paid to both Ministers and Permanent Secretaries when they hold a workshop in Lusaka next week.
Sitting allowances were abolished in 2012. I expected a quick rebuttal or clarification from Cabinet Office.
It has not.
Remunerative allowances that include sitting allowances were abolished in 2012/13 when the Government implemented the 2010 Pay Policy.
This Policy revised conditions of service and payment of allowances to government officials. It abolished almost all renumerative allowances such as sitting, overtime, lunch, bonuses allowances and consolidated them into a salary.
Sitting allowances were abolished.
However, the Government retained only duty-facilitating allowances. Government still pays duty-facilitating allowances for those officers working outside station, outside town or outside the country.
The government introduced Daily-Subsistence Allowances for officers and officials traveling outside town.
Even in this case, sitting allowances were abolished as government pays for accommodation and food, and a small out-of-pocket allowance.
In the case of the workshop due next week, Government will NOT pay any allowances, including sitting allowances to Ministers and Permanent Secretaries based in Lusaka.
However, it will pay duty-facilitating allowances to those Provincial Ministers and Provincial Permanent Secretaries from outside Lusaka to allow and facilitate their travel, and their accommodation.
In fact, for fuel, imprest was abolished and a standard formula was devised to pay based on number of kilometers to be covered. The Minister or PS from Kabwe, Central Province will not receive the same fuel amount as the PS coming from Solwezi or Kasama.
So to be clear, no Minister or Permanent Secretaries based in Lusaka received or were paid allowances for their meetings, workshop, ad-hoc, committees and other such functions being held at Mulungushi International Conference or Government Complex which form part of their normal daily duties in Lusaka.
However, every government, including that of President Hichilema has bemoaned the abuse of public resources using unnecessary workshops or deliberately moving such meetings and workshops to places like Livingstone so that officials could benefit from stipends.
This must be curtailed and justification is shown why such Meetings should take place outside town or in person.
In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us that nearly all meetings including Cabinet Meetings and one due to take place next week can take occur virtually and this can save huge government resources.
What do you expect from a trial and error under 5 president. I told you this will be the worst govt in Zambian history. They will cry for pf to return
Under 5 knocked you out of government Mr Under 2
Mwamba, you’re not privy to what prompted the President to say that sitting allowances won’t be paid at next weeks Ministerial/Permanent Secretaries meeting.
Mwaamba still wants to be relevant? Mwashibukeni mukwayi
No wonder this Mwamba was alwaus sent abroad as he is a big problem when he is at home.
He was actually fired by Sata
Not even ‘out of pocket’ allowance should be paid. Carry your own money to pay for night women. You travel in a government vehicle, what fuel allowance? You are accommodated by GRZ and food also by GRZ. What allowance do you need when you are just working in another office?
Mr. Mwamba, read in-between the lines and understand everything as opposed to concocting your perceptions, which consist of your own preferences and what you want the people to focus on. I digested your concerns and, your interests appear to be misplaced. A careful reading would have revealed something else, if you read it fairly. Two issues are relevant here. Firstly, I would like to interpret what Mr. Hichelema said. Secondly, may I also explain what your response denotes? Mr. HH simply said that sitting allowances were paid in the past and this is factual even I paraphrased it. That being said, there is nothing to refute. Added to this, Mr. HH also indicated that sitting allowances will no longer be paid by his administration and this is also truthful. Mwamba, what warrants your…
# 6Â Â Educated Fellow is right , ………
It’s not black and white……..
There are still many other allowances and freebies these fat cats cream off the tax payers ………
As chilufa tiyali says……..
HEHH is a very tight man where funds are concerned………there will be no fee meals with HH……….
And why is he still referred to as Ambassador Mwamba….which Zambian mission is he representing abroad????
Saulosi needs enlightenment. Tradition allows the title to be used despite not being in active service.
I concur with Nam ( No. 9). Any person who heads or has headed a mission continues to be referred to as Ambassador. This would explain why media guru Frank Mutubila is still referred to as Ambassador Frank Mububila. They will die with their title as is the case with commissioned military officers like Captains, Majors, Brigadier-Generals, Major-Generals, Lieutenant-Generals and Generals – all these people will die with their military titles. Oh yes, he is Ambassador Emmanuel Mwamba.
I wrote on the earlier article that no allowances of any form should be paid. Accommodation, transport and food (if away from home) can be paid for (at market rates). These should be from recommended / preferred hotels and booked for by their admin people.
Yes they should include everything in their salaries, and their duty statement should categorically state that traveling and attending meetings away from home is part of their job description. Lots of wastage and per diems. NGOs are the worst at this too.
kanamaso kakubeka – Dont insult officers in uniform with such explanations they earned those stars on their shoulders and were not appointed like those guys you just mentioned….I hope you wont give such examples at a Officer’s Mess if you are ever invited to one!!
Hello
“Sitting allowances” are just feasting opportunities and even “benchmarking trips” are touristic ventures disguised as learning trips.Let’s call a thief a thief and a spade a spade.
Tell them
Iwe Misisi thug aka chi Kaizar Zero the worst govt in Zambia’s history was PF and thank God they got rejected by wiser Zambian voters.
,@9 Nam
Iyo mwandi mwatiuzilapo….but don’t you think that refers to US ambassadors because even former Presidents in the US are still addressed as President…Obama is still called President Obama, President Bush,President Carter etc but Obama doesn’t still call himself President or sign documents as President….now imagine People calling Lungu as President Lungu or President Rupiah Banda…we use “former”…..I think it’s wrong for Mwamba to sign as Ambassador Mwamba or call himself Ambassador Mwamba according to our Zambian protocols…i might be wrong
Dull chaps who think they are very smart. These folks are not different from bricks. We need a law to banish these minions from ever getting anywhere near leadership circles. This Mwamba chap and the way he makes his face, as if he has a CV. They dont even bother to read other peoples CVs. Give him the new Chief Justice’s CV or even the Deputy and see if he continues talking. If he does, take him to CHAINAMA.
Why is it that everyone who just points out HH’s short comings is attacked terribly on this platform? Isn’t that suppression of media rights? So people can’t talk except if they support what HH is doing? Isn’t that the same thing PF supporters where said to be doing to opposition supporters? If HH said no allowances and yet there has been no allowances since 2012, it’s an error on his part. He is a human being and prone to error. Period. UPND supporters you should stop intimidating people who say what you don’t want to hear by starting referring to their past wrongs whenever they point out UPND’s mistakes. Its shameful to do that just 3 months in government.
@Saulosi: what shortcomings can you see in 3 months? Which means you nairs are creating stories. A country is not forest 27 which you can degazette in one week.No, infact three months goes to mere planning , but we are tired of making sense to you senseless cadres – it’s now insult for insult. Which we ve noticed that that’s what u understand. So footsek all of you PF *****s!