Govt fails to pay civil servants for blitz

THE government is yet to pay civil servants for their services during the mobile registration mop-up exercise last year ahead of the disputed August 2023 elections.

At the time Treasury said it had budgeted US$16 million for the exercise, but The Standard established that civil servants are yet to receive a single cent for their services.

According to documents seen by this publication, the government had promised to pay the dues in batches from March to May this year.

But the civil servants who participated in the exercise said they had not yet been paid a year later despite several promises from the the Home Affairs ministry.

The government entered into an agreement with the civil servants to conduct the registration exercise at a rate of US$120 per day from March to

April 2023.

According to information obtained by The Standard, each individual is owed up to US$3 600 by the government.

In a letter dated February 28, 2024 directed to the Home Affairs secretary Raphael Faranisi, Finance ministry secretary George Guvamatanga said the allowances would be paid in batches because of financial constraints.

“Given the resource constraints against competing demands related to budgeted government programmes and projects, Treasury commits to settle the outstanding amount in three batches commencing March 2024,” Guvamatanga had said.

“In order to restore value lost due to depreciation, payment of allowances will be made in foreign currency.”

Faranisi told The Standard in an interview last week that the government was seized with the matter.

“They will be paid their dues,” Faranisi

said.

“I am aware of the issue. The decision was made for the arrears to be cleared.

“Those who have not been paid must see the Registrar General’s office because I am aware some have already been paid.”

Efforts to get a comment from Guvamatanga were in vain as he was not picking up calls.

The government workers whose allowances have not been paid said they had incurred extra costs following up on their dues.

“It’s now a year after we had been promised and nothing is materialising,” an officer at the registrar’s office, who declined to be named, said.

“I make phone calls time and again and sometimes I travel to the Home Affairs ministry following up on that money because I spent my personal savings to participate in that exercise.”