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least paid Government worker getting US$253, up from US$128.
Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Dr Misheck Sibanda, yesterday said President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara had agreed that salaries should be increased as a matter of urgency.

“The principals to the inclusive Government met on Wednesday, 6th July, 2011 to discuss among other issues, the salary review for civil servants. In this regard, the principals recalled that Cabinet agreed that the salaries for civil servants must be reviewed upwards as a matter of urgency.
“The principals noted also the agreement signed by parties to the National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) on 1st July, 2011 regarding salary and conditions of service for civil servants,” Dr Sibanda said.

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He added that principals at their Wednesday meeting agreed that the salaries review should be implemented immediately.
“The principals at their Wednesday meeting agreed that the salary review for civil servants must be implemented immediately using the entry point of the least paid civil servant in Grade B1 as the benchmark and cascaded upwards.

“Basic salary, US$159, transport allowance US$44 and housing allowance US$50. The total package amounts to US$253,” Dr Sibanda said.
There has been confusion over civil servants salaries after the National Joint Negotiating Council announced that the salaries had been reviewed upwards.

PM Tsvangirai and Public Service Minister Eliphas Mukonoweshuro have been saying no agreement had been reached yet, while the Apex Council had been insisting that they had been reviewed.
PM Tsvangirai was quoted in some media reports at the weekend saying Cabinet had not approved the reviews.

Minister Mukonoweshuro on the other hand has been saying negotiations over salaries were still in progress.
Finance Minister Tendai Biti has also been insisting that there was no money to increase public servants’ salaries.

On Wednesday, Minister Biti told the GPA principals that the salary review would not be sustainable.
In his presentation to the principals titled, “Public Service Remuneration Review Implications”, Minister Biti argued that the review would increase the monthly civil service wage bill by US$29 million to around

US$104 million against a monthly average of US$75 million from January to June.
By December, Minister Biti said, the cost would be around US$204 million inclusive of the bonus payment.