Austerity measures hit civil servants hardest

 

 The austerity measures introduced by President John Magufuli threaten to disrupt the welfare of many  civil servants who depend heavily on allowances and per diems for their livelihoods, according to a survey.

 

 

 

A cross-section of analysts and public servants interviewed by ‘The Guardian’ yesterday, said they were not opposed to the frugality measures, but the majority of civil servants will have to tighten their belts to make ends meet because they were used to sitting allowances and travel per diems which supplemented their monthly wages.

 

“Most of the workers depend on foreign and local trips for extra income…there is a certain cadre of civil servants who were surviving on allowances throughout the month., said TUCTA Secretary General, Nicholas Mgaya. 

 

According to Mgaya, the government’s wage bill allocation  prioritise per diem and allowances whereby 52 per cent is meant for allowances while actual salaries account for just 48 per cent.

 

“The gap between salaries and allowances is too big…there are civil servants who are used to get such allowances and they now stand to lose” he noted. 

 

He added that as for the travels, sometimes the delegations used to be too big and some officials considered the trips as part of their holidays. 

 

“I understand that in some instances, some delegates did not even attend the actual meetings they were supposed to but instead spent most of the time shopping and enjoying themselves, thanks to the allowances.”

 

Mgaya noted that still government officials will have to travel abroad to attend to some of the important conferences and meetings. He said there are some international conferences and core activities where Tanzania’s’ presence was crucial, including those of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United Nations.

 

The Board Director at the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, Gideon Mbalase commended the measure, saying it will hit hard some officials who used to manufacture trips to foreign countries only to get extra income for their personal gains.

 

“Most of the government officials depend on foreign trips to get money…what the President did is commendable as it was benefiting a small group of people,” he said.

 

Mbalase noted that there was a time when board members could decide to organise their meetings abroad in order to get the allowances.

 

Speaking to this paper anonymously, a public servant said the president’s directive will somehow affect them because apart from the exposure and attending meetings they were getting an extra income.

 

She said public servants should learn to live with what they earn.

 A Dar es Salaam based analyst Adam Gwankisa said the move will hit hard public servants but on the other side it is a commendable move by the president. 

 

“Let the minority be hit hard for the benefit of majority,” he said noting that President Magufuli was now moving in the right direction and leading the way.  

 

He said the president must put in place a proper system to ensure sustainability of all the good things he has so far engineered. 

Retired Ambassador, Kassim Mwawando noted that seminars and study tours were not productive. He said sometimes wrong people were sent to attend seminars that were meant for extension officers.

 

In May this year, the government raised civil servants travel allowances in a circular that was issued by the Registrar of the Treasury.

 

The daily allowances for local trips were increased from 65,000/- to 100,000/- for mid level managers and senior officers. The allowance was also increased to 120,000/- from 80,000/- for directors and principal officers. 

 

For foreign travel, directors and principal officers pocket USD 420 daily while mid level managers and senior officers are paid USD 365. 

The travels ban are expected to boost the government coffers.

 

All foreign affairs will be handled by representatives of the country in the respective countries and only trips on important issues will require the president’s  authorisation or from the Chief Secretary.

 

Announcing the ban, President John Magufuli said instead of many foreign trips, the country should refocus on making trips to rural areas to solve myriad challenges facing the public.

 

The announcement to ban foreign trips comes a few months after the opposition raised alarm on the myriad of trips by former President Jakaya Kikwete and his closest aides.

 

The opposition had it that during the former president’s 10 tenure of office foreign trips had incurred the country billions of shillings.

 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN