Let us lead by example: President
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has warned civil servants against laxity as Government intensifies efforts to drive Zimbabwe towards his vision of an upper middle income economy by 2030.
Writing on his Twitter account, President Mnangagwa said cutting Government expenditure was a key component in rebuilding the economy and urged civil servants to play their part.
“As we restructure, reform and rebuild our economy, cutting expenditure plays an important role. I wish to remind all public servants that we must lead by example and serve the people with modesty and humility. The sacrifices we make today are the foundations of a better tomorrow,” wrote the President.
When he assumed office in November last year, President Mnangagwa pledged to rapidly transform the economy and the general way of doing business in Government.
He also said fighting corruption would be a critical priority of his administration. President Mnangagwa’s efforts to cut Government expenditure were more pronounced when Treasury pledged to reduce the National Budget by limiting borrowing from the central bank and foreign travel. Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube also promised to rein in issuance of Treasury bills.
The President, his deputies, top Government officials and parastatal bosses are among senior public officials whose salaries are set to be cut by 5percent next month as part of austerity measures to contain costs.
Government has also started retiring 3 384 youth officers from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation as part of civil service reforms.
Presenting the 2019 Budget Statement last month, Professor Ncube said retiring the youth officers was in line Government’s restructuring exercise.
Treasury also resolved to curtail acquisition and provision of vehicles by the State, including replacement of condition-of-service vehi- cles; enforce measures on use of Government operational vehicles by public officers, rationalise foreign service missions, review of parliamentary sitting allowances and limit expenditures on by-elections.
Last week, the President said a bright future lay ahead for Zimbabwe despite the current challenges.
“There is a brighter future in the country, better than where we are coming from,” he said last week at Gandauta Secondary School in Chiadzwa, Manicaland Province, after opening a science and computer laboratory.
“We understand the challenges that we are currently experiencing but in the new dispensation we have programmes meant to develop rural areas, including devolution. So things will change for the better soon,” he said.