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| National |
| MPs’ package high in the region |
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by
Pilirani Semu-Banda, 10 August 2004
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09:33:29
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Despite having bigger economies than Malawi, members of Parliament (MPs) in Zambia and Mozambique are paid less money, a report from the study tours local MPs undertook to the region to check on the conditions of service of legislators and civil servants has revealed.
A source in Treasury revealed on Monday that government will base its decision on whether to approve revised perks for the MPs on the findings from the study tour, comparing the average income per person per year (per capita income) of the countries with that of Malawi.
The other countries visited during the study tours are Kenya and Tanzania.
Malawi’s per capita income which, according to a report by Standard Bank of South Africa is at US$148 (K16,132), is the least compared to the other four countries that were visited.
Zambia’s per capita income is at US$386.70 (K42,150.30) while that of Mozambique is at US$227 (K24,743).
Although Tanzanian and Kenyan MPs get more money than their local counterparts, the average income per person in those countries is at US$266 (K28,994) and US$250 (K27,250) respectively.
“This means that the MPs are not likely to get a big increase as they anticipated,” said the source.
Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe confirmed on Monday that government was analysing the report from the study tours and has not yet approved new salaries.
“We are comparing the earnings and the economic standing as well before we come up with a decision on the matter,” said Gondwe.
On salary reviews for civil servants, Gondwe said his ministry has already finalised its recommendations on the matter and the issue is now at cabinet level.
The study tour by MPs followed calls by the legislators in June that they want to have new conditions of service proposed by the last Parliament to be adopted and implemented.
The MPs also threatened to sabotage the 2004/2005 budget due in September if government, through Treasury, does not soften up to improve conditions for car loans which, they claimed, would leave them with a take-home pay of K3,000.
But government refused to implement the new packages, estimated to cost the taxpayer about K1.5 billion a year, saying it has other priorities for the 2004/2005 budget which include a general salary increase for civil servants, a subsidy on the price of fertiliser and a stock of domestic debt which stands at K60 billion.
Deputy chair for Rumphi district Peter Chihana said in an interview last week he was against calls by MPs to get salary increases because Rumphi, with a population of 120,000, gets K80,000 only per month from government to run the assembly when the MPs are demanding K280,000.
“If you divide the number of people in the district against the allocation from government, you will find that citizens are getting about 70t each,” said Chihana.
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