CIVIL servants are set for a happy end of year as the Government has assured them that they will receive their bonus while modalities are also being worked out to continue with foreign currency allowances until the end of the year.

In June, the Government announced a flat non-taxable Covid-19 allowance of US$75 for civil servants and increased their salaries by 50 percent while pensioners who retired from the civil service also got a flat non-taxable Covid-19 allowance of US$30 per month.

The allowances were initially for three months, but during a National Joint Negotiating Council (NJNC) meeting which brings Government and civil servants’ representatives under one roof held last week, the Government announced that the facility has been extended to the end of the year. And to put the cherry on the cake, the Government will also pay its workers a 13th cheque.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube told Sunday News on the sidelines of a donation of food hampers to the elderly in Bulawayo’s Luveve suburb yesterday that the Government was in the process of increasing salaries, paying bonus and will continue with the non-taxable Covid-19 US$ allowance for its workers. Health workers are also set to get an additional risk allowance.

“We are continuing talks with civil servants noting that they are hardworking and critical to our economy, especially those in the health sector, who make up our frontline workers in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, which has largely affected our nation.

What we are doing now is that we are engaging the civil servants to see how we can continue with the non-taxable foreign currency allowance for the entire civil service and the risk allowances for our health workers,” said Prof Ncube.

Regarding the civil servants’ bonuses, the minister assured the workers that despite the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic the workers will receive their 13th cheque this year.
-The Sunday News