GOVERNMENT has bemoaned the low productivity levels from the civil service despite making efforts to pay civil servants decent wages.
Labour and Social Security Minister Fackson Shemenda said the productivity levels from civil servants and most parastatal companies in Zambia were generally very low compared to other countries in the region.
Mr Shamenda was speaking in Livingstone yesterday when he addressed heads of Government departments at the former provincial office.
The Minister was however saddened at the absence of some heads of Departments during the meeting and ordered Livingstone District Commissioner Omar Munsanje to take note of those who were not present so that they could be disciplined.
“Why is that I am only seeing few heads of departments? This is an important meeting where we are supposed to be discussing issues of policy direction and I expected them to be here.
This is indiscipline and I want you Mr Munsanje to take note of those that have been attended this meeting,” Mr Shamenda said.
He said it was for such tendencies that President Michael Sata was complaining that Government programmes and policies were not being explained to the people because civil servants were in a habit of not doing the right thing at the right time.
And Mr Shamenda has said that Government was committed to seeing that workers across the country got decent wages that could make their lives and families much easier.
“We as Government are committed to seeing that our workers across the country get decent wages but we also need to see to it that our productivity levels go up, we need to have a situation of equal pay for equal work,” Mr Shamenda said.
He said Government was going to develop a productivity centre which would help to monitor the productivity levels especially in the civil service.
Mr Shamenda also said the Government would not allow foreign or local investors who would want to pay meager salaries that exposed people to suffering at the expense of decent living.
“We as Government are committed to seeing that our workers across the country get decent wages but we also need to see to it that our productivity levels go up, we need to have a situation of equal pay for equal work,” Mr Shamenda said.
Well said. This can only be achieved if funding to Ministries like Agriculture and Livestock is adequate and timely. You can’t expect equal pay for equal from such a ministry if funding is poor and untimely. For instance how do you expect demos to be conducted if at the time these are supposed to be done government has not released funding?
This is cheap talk, those speeches it is civil servants who write for u Fack Shamenda. Everyday you condemn us saying we are corrupt, lazy, don’t think blah blah blah. Have some decency to commend
Another PF job creation scheme resulting in failed pepper-clip pushers been given jobs as a pay-off for political servitude.
And I thought that all you had to do to measure productivity levels was undertake an assessment study……
Its a good idea,if the first recruits could be ministers & some mps.