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| National |
| Mepc staff on strike |
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by
Moses Michael-Phiri, 01 February 2007
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11:55:03
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Employees of the Malawi Export Promotions Council (Mepc) staff staged a sit-in Wednesday to protest over government’s failure to pay them their January 2007 salaries.
One of the senior officers at Mepc, said the employees were supposed to receive their salaries by January 25.
The official said Mepc has only received K360,000 from Treasury, an amount that cannot cater for salaries and other operational costs of Mepc in a month.
“Our monthly budget is around K1.8 million per month but Treasury has only given us K360,000. The views of the staff are that we should be sent on leave pending the merger of Mepc and Malawi Investment Promotions Agency (Mipa).
“The issue of salaries is very serious. It’s a life matter and being January it has really been difficult for Mepc staff. As of now we do not know when and how we will be paid,” he said.
Lawrence Chaluluka, Mepc general manager, could not be reached for comment yesterday as he was reportedly travelling to Kigali in Rwanda for an export partnership agreements meeting.
On the other hand, Secretary to the Treasury Randson Mwadiwa dismissed the claims that government has not funded Mepc.
“When a budget has been passed all government departments and statutory corporations are expected to stick to their budgets. They have their own budget and they get what they have,” he said.
Mwadiwa confirmed that Mepc had to take an extra provision last year amounting to K11.8 million to settle debts.
The money was expected to be recovered from the Mepc monthly budget starting last November.
“Where were they expecting to get the money to repay the loan? Mepc has a general manager, ask him,” said Mwadiwa.
Mepc’s woes have come when government is trying to merge Mepc and Mipa by the end of the first quarter of this year which ends on March 31. |
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