Teaching Service Commission (TSC) Commission Chairperson, Stanley Mhango, says the government is committed to the debt swap initiative for all public service workers in the country.
And Mr Mhango says the government is working on modalities to extend the debt swap to council employees across the country.
Mr Mhango says the government initiated and has started implementing debt swap to give relief to civil servants who are highly indebted.
ZANIS reports that speaking when he paid a courtesy call on Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Bernard Chomba this morning, Mr Mhango said the government is currently considering the commutation of leave days for public service workers who do not have running loans.
“As government we are in discussion with the cabinet office to see to it that we re-consider the issue of commutation of leave days to those civil servants that have no running loans with any lending institutions,” Mr Mhango said.
There have been one or two teething issues that have arisen following the implementation of the debt swap relief especially for civil servants who may not have running loans with any institution.
Mr Mhango stated that the issue is receiving active attention by the cabinet office and that in principle the government is going to consider the commutation of leave days.
“ The issue (commutation of leave days) is receiving active attention by the cabinet office and in principle I want to state that the government is going to consider commuting of leave days,” he stated.
He expressed happiness that civil servants in Central Province have welcomed the debt swap initiative by the government as a way of trying to create relief to public service workers.
And Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Bernard Chomba, has urged the government to come up with precautionary measures that will prevent civil servants from falling back into a debt trap.
Mr Chomba has also called for a deliberate policy direction that will help public service workers prepare for retirement.
And Kabwe Town Clerk (TC), Joel Shawa, has thanked the government for extending the debt swap to council employees across the country.
Mr Shawa observed that council workers are also highly indebted, adding that pay days are the most difficult days for the local authority employees because of the huge indebtedness.
Meanwhile, Mr Mhango says government is working on modalities to extend the debt swap to council employees across the country.
He disclosed that the Secretary to Cabinet has directed for the engagement of local authorities management and union representatives countrywide to appreciate the levels of indebtedness by council workers.
He added that the government is also interested to know how councils are managing payroll related debts owed by local authority workers.
He said the government is cognizant of the fact that local authorities are the engine of development because they are closer to social amenities.
The Teaching Commission Chairperson revealed during an interactive meeting with the council management and union representatives at Kabwe Municipal Council today.
