The disgruntled
employees accused government of neglecting their welfare while splurging on
fuel and top-ofthe-range vehicles for senior officials.
Civil servants
from key ministries, including Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and the Civil
Registry Department told NewsDay that their travel and subsistence allowances
have not been paid in full particularly for official foreign trips and mobile
registration exercises conducted in 2023.
The workers
told NewsDay that they undertook official assignments outside the country but
are yet to receive their dues.
“Some of us
went on foreign trips last year and earlier this year,” a source said. “We used
personal funds expecting reimbursement, but nothing has come.”
The issue of
non-payment of allowances has become topical among internal divisions within
ministries, with employees claiming to have approached their superiors asking
for their dues to no avail.
NewsDay also
heard that authorities made several pledges to pay the allowances, which were
never honoured.
Some of the
workers claimed they were owed up to US$5 000 in allowances.
Employees from
the Civil Registry Department under the Home Affairs ministry claimed they had
only been partially paid for their participation in the national mobile
registration blitz held between March and April 2023.
Government had
committed to pay each worker US$120 per day for the exercise which amounted to
US$3 600 for the three months.
The Finance,
Economic Development and Investment Promotion ministry acknowledged the arrears
in a letter dated February 28, 2024, addressed to Home Affairs and Cultural
Heritage secretary Raphael Faranisi, indicating that payment will be made in
batches from March to May last year due to financial constraints.
However,
workers say only a small portion of the promised funds was disbursed last
month, adding that there was no official communication on when the outstanding
amounts would be paid.
Junior
government workers accused government of double standards where it pleaded
poverty while senior officials allegedly continue to splurge on top-ofthe-range
vehicles, fuel and luxury perks.
“We are being
told the government is broke, yet officials are driving brand new
top-of-the-ranges cars. It’s demoralising,” said a disgruntled Civil Registry
Department worker.
“We are aware
of fuel coupons that are disbursed on a daily basis to chefs. Their cars never
run out of fuel and they are always on the road, yet the employer can't pay us
our meagre dues.” Newsday
0 comments:
Post a Comment