Harare (New Ziana) – Government will, with effect from this month, pay civil servants and its pensioners Covid-19 risk allowances in United States dollars, the Minister of Labour and Social Welfare, Prof Paul Mavima said on Thursday.
The allowance, introduced by the government at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, was paid in local currency, although pegged in US dollars.
Civil servants were paid an equivalent of US$75 in local currency monthly, and government pensioners US$30 converted to Zimbabwe dollars.
Prof Mavima told New Ziana government will now pay its workers and retired employees in hard currency as pegged, as part of broad initiatives by the authorities to improve the welfare of staff in the civil service.
This follows the payment of bonuses in foreign currency to civil servants in November, a move widely welcomed by the government workers.
“That is a confirmed position of the government that the COVID-19 allowance which was paid at the going auction rate is now going to be paid in United States dollars,” Prof Mavina said.
In addition to the Covid-19 risk allowances now being paid in US dollars, the government has introduced a raft of other incentives for civil servants, including non-monetary such as transport and housing.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on record pledging to improve remuneration and working conditions for civil servants in tandem with economic recovery.
Already, urban-based government workers countrywide have been provided cheap transport to and from work through the Public Service Commission, which has addressed one of their main grievances.
New Ziana