Biti walks into salaries storm

After threatening to sink Bitis 2011 national budget, the Members of Parliament managed to squeeze up to US$1 200 in basic monthly pay each from the cash-strapped Treasury. Under the new pay scales, which become effective from January 2011, the legislators will take home between US$900 and US$1 200, in addition to getting new single-cab vehicles for their personal use.

The under-siege Biti also agreed to write off the MPs debts arising from a vehicle loan scheme entered into last year.

Make you smile

It is estimated that Treasury would need an additional US$4 million to purchase new cars for about 270 legislators depending on the make. “I want to thank honourable members who have contributed and I want to say to chairpersons of committees, we have discussed with your whips, they will give you an update on what we have discussed, which I am

quite sure will make you smile,” Biti told the House of Assembly last week.

Apparently what will make the legislators smile is the hefty salary increase and the new vehicles. Last year legislators got new Mazda BT50 vehicles, which cost government US$6 milllion. Despite the rumblings of discontent, there was no backbench revolt after Biti sweetened the pay checks for the legislators.

The previously contested Estimates of Expenditure for 2011, the Finance Bill and Appropriation (2011) Bill were passed without further debate, together with the Revised Estimates for 2010 and the related Appropriation (2010) Amendment (No. 2) Bill.

Austerity approach

Analysts however questioned Bitis wisdom for departing from his prudent austerity approach by agreeing to meet the MPs salary demands at a time the economy is not generating that much. Since his appointment last year, the minister has always insisted that the cash-strapped Zimbabwean government would operate on the basis of we eat what we kill philosophy.

In the 2011 budget statement presented last month, he even told the parliamentarians that the government wage bill was chewing up as much as 60 percent of the US$1 billion-plus revenue collected annually and that there was need to continue with the currently system of cash budgeting.

The unfortunate part of it all is that by agreeing to pay the MPs so much, the minister has effectively signalled civil servants to come in with demands for more pay. How will he refuse to also pay market rates for civil servants when he has already acceded to the demands of his peers in parliament? said an economist with a Harare-based financial institution.

Average monthly income in the Zimbabwe government is about US$200, while most of the population earns less than US$1 a day. An MDC-T MP who spoke on condition of anonymity said the increase would go a long way in restoring the “dignity and honour” of legislators which he said had become the laughing stock.

Run for office

Zanu (PF) MP Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, who tabled the motion to increase MPs salaries, said while the figure remains low as compared to other legislative jurisdictions around Southern African Development Community (SADC), the new salary scale would “compensate” for the heavy responsibility they shoulder in the economic, political and social development of the country.

Several legislators rubbished criticism of the increase, saying those complaining should run for office and join the legislature. Fortunately, most Zimbabweans are not convinced, and conveyed their outrage over the increase in a vox pop with The Zimbabwean. Since most of the population earns less than $1 per day, it is easy to understand the widespread anger towards this decision, as Zimbabwean MPs will now make, but certainly not earn, upwards of $16,000 per year.

A middle-aged woman, Mai Chido from Glen Norah said Zimbabweans might be able to stomach the huge numbers involved if it meant the selfless delivery of services and an end to corruption.

“If taxpayers are now paying them that much, then they must deliver and end huori or corruption,” she said. Political commentator Ronald Shumba said what makes the decision even more appalling is the record of Zanu PF MPs, some of them fingered in the 2008 post-election violence.

Greed

Many lamented the legislators’ greed, and demanded that they must now declare their assets, a move vigorously opposed by corrupt parliamentarians. “Their order of business has not been to produce legislation that would improve the lives of Zimbabwe’s poor, but to quadruple their salaries, well beyond the base inflation rate,” Shumba said.

In defence of the increase, MPs decried the difficulties of travelling to their constituencies, complaining specifically that the

deteriorating roads were damaging their luxury vehicles. So once again the question was posed by many, how could MPs complain about having to replace the tyres of their Mazda BT50 vehicles when thousands of people in their own constituencies are starving?

“Are they saying their cars are more important than Zimbabweans’ lives?” Ruvimbo Mutero, a civil servant at Mukwati Building asked. Another civil servant said: “They must fix the roads not buy cars, so that we all benefit.”