JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
Salary arrears take center stage of Mkushi District’s 4th Ordinary Council Meeting
MKUSHI, July 8th, 2013, ZANIS—Matters pertaining to Salary arrears owed to Council Workers took center stage during Mkushi District’s 4th Ordinary Council Meeting, today.
And Mkushi Council Secretary (CS) Everty Ng’andu confirmed that Division 4 Workers at this institution were owed Salary arrears for the past 6 months.
Mkushi District Council Chairperson Issac Tembo stated that the plight of the Division 4 Workers at Mkushi Council, deserved to be accorded top priority saying that Workers were cardinal to the success of Council operations.
Mr. Tembo called on the Council Chamber to unite and focus on exploring the means in which the Council could help to cushion the predicament that the Workers were experiencing.
He maintained that the Council was committed to fulfilling its mandated roles of service delivery to the public, but stressed that the issue of non-payment of salaries would have negative impact on Council Workers.
In a related contribution, Chalata Ward Councilor James Nshimba(MMD) proposed the need to direct an appeal to high level Policy Makers, to reconsider re-introduction of Crop Levy for Mkushi District.
Mr. Nshimba said that there was need for the Council Chamber to issue an appeal for the reinstating of Crop Levy, explaining that such a move would stabilise Council Revenue base to pay Division 4 salary scale Workers.
Meanwhile, Mkushi Council Secretary (CS) Everty Ng’andu confirmed that Division 4 Workers at this institution were owed Salary arrears for the past 6 months.
Mr. Ng’andu said that the Revenue base for Council had been very limited following the removal of Crop Levy as well as the withdrawal of Mineral Levy operations.
He said that owing to these developments, Council could not afford to pay salaries for its Division 4 Workers, adding that the Council had also not received the Grant from Central Government to use in offsetting challenges such as Workers’ Salaries.
During the same forum, Mkushi South Member of Parliament (MP) Sidney Chisanga (MMD) advised the Chamber against targeting only former Councilors in the efforts aimed at recovering debts owed to the Council.
Mr. Chisanga was commenting on a proposal made by Chibefwe Ward Councilor Topson Kunda (PF), who had suggested that legal action be applied on former Councilors who had debts with the Council.
He pointed out that there was need for Council to widen the pursuit of Debtors, saying that institutions such as MKDCU (Mkushi District Cooperative Union) and other profit making organizations owed the Council a lot of monies.
He observed that most former Councilors were experiencing impoverished lives, adding that the move to target them for debt recovery would be very harsh.
