AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government has reinstated a total of 4,380 public servants with Standard Seven qualifications who presented fake auxilliary certificates in a verification exercise leading to purging ‘ghost workers’ from government payrolls during the fifth phase government.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa made this declaration here yesterday when addressing delegates at the Tanzania Local Government Workers Union (TALGWU) annual general meeting, noting also that the government has paid arrears amounting to 176bn/- to retired teachers.
Civil servants who were doing their jobs well despite the credibility of school certificates seen in their employment documents have been returned to government payrolls,” he declared, underlining that the government will continue paying arrears of the concerned public servants arrears in various cadres as directed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The president had earlier directed the payment of arrears to government employees plus seeking solutions to the challenges they face, the premier affirmed, noting that the government is determined to work on their challenges and requests presented by TALGWU leaders in the keynote address.
“I have heard your concerns which include payment of travelling allowances to retired employees,” he specified, urging public servants to maintain solidarity and foster accountability by adhering to ethics governing service in the public sector.
The government has already worked on civil servants promotions whereas those employed between 2018 and 2021 have been promoted, urging those employed in the 2014 to 2017 period to exercise patience as the government works on the matter.
On ‘pay as you earn’ (PAYE) tax, the government has reduced it from nine to eight percent of earnings and increased the dependency age to 21 years from 18 years, he said, highlighting the need for civil servants to be trained on how to use point of sale (POS) equipment for taxes avoid queuing up inconveniences in revenue collection.
On COVID-19, the premier urged people to go for the jabs as they have been assessed and approved by local and foreign experts. “Tanzanians should go for COVID-19 vaccines. They should stay away from misconceptions driven by fake experts in social networks,” he emphasised.
Directing municipal councils to make sure they form workers councils by September 30th this year, while Jenista Mhagama, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (Policy, Parliament, Coordination, Labour, Youth, Employment and People with Disabilities) hailed the two top leaders for their supervision of trade unions.
She urged fellow cabinet ministers to make sure their sectors’ monthly contributions to social security funds are paid on time.
TALGWU Secretary General Rashid Mtima hailed President Samia for taking deliberate steps to solve challenges faced by public servants and improving their welfare.
