Zimbabwe has awarded civil servants a 100% salary increment as part of efforts to improve their welfare, the government-owned daily The Herald reports.
However, the increase just about keeps pace with Zimbabwe’s high inflation, which stands at 92.3% according to latest figures. This means the prices in shops are rising at almost the same rate as the salary hike.
The pay review includes an improved $250 Covid-19 allowance for all civil servants and a $80 monthly allowance for teachers, a statement from the finance ministry is quoted as saying.
The review takes effect from 1 March in the security sector and 1 April for the rest of the civil service, a finance ministry official is quoted as saying.
A representative of the teachers’ union interviewed by the newspaper said the review was “exciting” but said the increment of Covid-19 allowance was still low.
A nurses association representative said more talks were scheduled on Wednesday over the allowance.
In 2020, the Zimbabwean government said it could not afford to increase salaries during a doctors’ strike that lasted more than four months, paralysing the country’s healthcare sector.
