By PETER SICHALI
GOVERNMENT should expedite the debt swap for highly indebted civil servants, Basic Teachers Union of Zambia (BETUZ) General Secretary Henry Sinkala has said.
Mr Sinkala said the debt swap is a good innovation that will go a long way in addressing debt among civil servants.
“Our appeal to Government is that can we fast track debt swap to ensure that it is quickly actualised,” Mr Sinkala said.
He said BETUZ was impressed with Government’s commitment to addressing the challenges facing the civil servants.
“We have a listening Government and we are hopeful that debt swap will be actualised so that teachers and other public workers can start seeing the benefits,” Mr Sinkala said.
He said debt swap will provide relief to highly indebted civil servants. Mr Sinkala said the move will be historical and boost worker’s motivation. He said most civil servants’ salaries have been swallowed by bank loans resulting in low motivation and productivity.
Mr Sinkala said some workers were suffering double deductions and could not even afford to send their children to school.
“Unfortunately some workers are suffering double deductions and cannot afford to send children to higher learning of institutions due low income,” he said.
He said the idea of debt swap will help increase take home pay and go a long way in improving efficiency in the civil service.
He said Government had a huge internal debt to civil servants in subsistence allowances, settling in allowances, salary upgrades and leave pays among others.
