Prof Moyo
Herald Reporter
The Office of the President and Cabinet has compiled a comprehensive and detailed preliminary report on the remuneration levels of chief executives of all parastatals, local authorities and State enterprises, and the document now awaits review and scrutiny this week.
Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, in a statement, said Cabinet yesterday referred the report for review and scrutiny by a relevant committee chaired by Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa.
“Government wishes to inform the public that a comprehensive and detailed preliminary report, covering all State enterprises, parastatals and local authorities, has since been compiled by OPC working in collaboration with officials from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and from the State Enterprises Restructuring Agency.
“Today (Tuesday) Cabinet has referred the report for a case-by-case review and scrutiny this week by the Cabinet Committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals chaired by Honourable Minister Patrick Chinamasa,” read the statement.
After the review, Prof Moyo said, the report is expected to be presented to Cabinet next week for a Government decision on immediate and long term measures and processes to redress the ‘Salarygate’ scandal.
Prof Moyo reiterated Government’s commitment to weed out corruption and unreasonable salaries and allowances in public enterprises, parastatals and local authorities.
“Under the direction of His Excellency, the President, Cde RG Mugabe, Government is unreservedly committed to leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the state of malaise in public enterprises, parastatals and local authorities is uprooted in order to transform these entities, from being a burden to the State and the broader economy, to revenue generators, engines for economic growth and catalysts for sustainable socio-economic transformation and development,” he said.
Compilation of the report followed a Cabinet directive to the Chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet on November 26 last year to look into issues of corporate governance and remuneration levels for chief executives of all parastatals, local authorities and State enterprises.
The media has in recent weeks exposed some obscene salaries for parastatals with Premier Service Medical Aid Society boss Dr Cuthbert Dube topping the list with a salary and allowances in excess of US$500 000 per month.
Suspended Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation chief executive Mr Happison Muchechetere was earning in excess of US$40 000 monthly while the generality of workers had gone for months without pay.
A salary schedule for Harare City Council leaked to the press last month revealed that town clerk Dr Tendai Mahachi was taking home US$37 000 while the directors were getting US$36 000.
According to the schedule, the top brass was pocketing more than US$500 000 a month.
The revelations came at the time council workers had just staged a demonstration over non-payment of November and December salaries.