Thu, 16 Aug 2012 09:19:24 +0000
The increase in allowances for president Sata and his ministers is insensitive and a misplaced priority says NAREP President Elias Chipimo.
Mr Chipimo said the adjustment was unreasonable when there was massive employment and inadequate water supply to the people of Zambia.
He observed that it was wrong for office bearers to demand for an increase when nothing tangible had been done to alleviate the poverty levels in the country.
The opposition leader said it was very unfortunate that Zambians had put people in office that had duped them in such a manner without even considering the people that put them in office.
“It is wrong for officer bearers to increase their salaries without first considering improving the welfare of the Zambian people.
This government has made massive adjustment on transport allowances for civil servants and some of them have had their retention allowances removed and yet they go ahead and increase their allowances, which is very unfair and uncalled for,” Chipimo said.
He said the Patriotic Front government needed to understand the important issues that had to be improved in the nation and it should have been the last to demand for an increase in allowances.
Mr Chipimo condemned the raise saying that it was unjustifiable because the allowances were not in line with the 15 percent that was given to civil servants.
He said any increment was excessive because many Zambians were still living below poverty levels.
The opposition leader said the PF had been challenged to revise these increments and improve the welfare of the people.
He noted that 10 months was too short a time for a party that had ascended to power to start giving its office bearers allowances that did not exit.
“As NAREP we criticize these increments and we feel government should first work on improving the high unemployment levels, undeveloped infrastructure and the erratic water situation and lack of proper health services rather than prioritising their allowances.
The Zambian people did not put the PF in office for their personal benefits but they wanted to see development and an improvement in poverty situation in the nation.
This is the way government behaves when they have no agenda of improving lives of citizens,” he said.
