Chipimo criticises salary hikes for govt leaders

At a time when many Zambians are experiencing untold suffering, it is sad that elected officials can put themselves first by increasing their salaries backdated to January, says Elias Chipimo.

Commenting on the backdated increment when there has been a wage freeze for civil servants, Chipimo, the National Restoration Party president, said Zambians did not have political leadership that uses their positions to protect the weak.

The government has issued three Statutory Instruments increasing the salaries of the President, Vice-President, ministers and members of parliament, including the Speaker, his deputy, chief whips and leader of opposition in the House. All the adjustments were signed in August but backdated to January this year.

The Vice-President will now get a basic salary of K294,950.00 per annum, including a special annual allowance of K74,084.00.

She will also be entitled to a utility allowance of K38,329.00 per year.

The speaker will now get K282,007.00 basic salary per annum while his special annual allowance of K65, 695.00.

His utility allowance per annum will now stand at K58,329.00

But Chipimo said it was unfortunate that the country’s leaders weren’t using their positions to improve people’s living standards.

“At a time when there are so many Zambians who are experiencing untold suffering, it is sad that elected and appointed officials can put themselves first by granting themselves salary increments and backdated to January. In his book ‘Leaders Eat Last’, Simon Sinek points out that a real leader is someone who uses their leadership position to protect the weak and vulnerable and puts the interests of those they lead first. We do not yet have such political leadership in Zambia,” said Chipimo

Source: The Mast