Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning Jonas Shakafuswa has disclosed that ministers and other senior government officials have not yet started receiving their 16 per cent salary increment because government has to pay farmers who sold their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
And Mr. Shakafuswa has urged farmers who have not yet been paid by FRA to be
patient, assuring them that they would be fully paid their moneys despite the delays
that may occur.
He said government was so committed to pay farmers their dues that it even delayed
in effecting the 16 per cent salary increment for ministers.
“Some of the senior government officials, ministers haven’t received the 16 per cent
salary increase. Government has not paid them, we said no, the money must go to
farmers first. We want to be responsible,” he said.
Mr. Shakafuwa said today that government delayed in paying off farmers because of
irregular collections of revenue.
He explained that it was rare that government would have the money readily available
to purchase maize from farmers but it would provide an estimated budget, which would
only be fulfilled when moneys were collected.
He said government was however committed to pay farmers but urged them to sell some
of their products to genuine and committed private partners.
“When money is available, then we will pay the farmers. We want them to be paid,” he
said.
And Mr. Shakafuswa said the shortage of cement in the country was due to increased
activities in the construction industry around the country.
He said however that the shortage would be eased when Chilanga Cement PLC doubles
its production by the end of this year.
The Deputy Minister observed that increased activities in the construction industry
were an indicator that the country’s economy was growing.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shakafuswa said government has not properly handled the issue of
infrastructure development in the country but quickly pointed out that corrective
measure were being put in place.
He said government has been losing billions of Kwacha in paying contractors who in
turn end up abandoning road projects.
He said government would ensure that contractors who do the country a disservice did
not get any more contracts.
A number of road projects around the country have been abandoned by contractors who
allege that the Ministry of Finance has failed to pay them for their works.
Government has unreservedly apologised to the Heads of State and Government and delegates attending the 27th SADC summit at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, MICC for the power failure that occurred during the official opening of the summit.
