WRONG TIMING
…Chipata Caritas questions MPs’salary hike amidst high cost of living
By Christopher Miti
CARITAS Chipata governance unit programmes coordinator John Mthaziko Zulu says it is wrong timing for members of parliament to push for
salary increments.
Last Thursday parliament unanimously approved to increase up to 17 per cent salaries and allowances paid to members of parliament.
The increment means that MPs would on average take home K80,000 and be entitled to K3,000 per sitting and enjoy a US $120,000 car loan.
During debate held in camera, all MPs including those from the ruling UPND adopted the report from the parliamentary reforms and modernisation committee which recommended that salaries and other benefits be adjusted upwards.
The report was submitted by committee vice chairperson Princess Kasune who is also Keembe UPND member of parliament.
But in an interview recently, Zulu said the high cost of living has not only affected one sector.
“The MPs are people representatives. Now if they are representing the people, what type of life are their people leading? Does it mean that the lives of the people they are leading in the constituencies are better off than theirs? Let the MPs be leaders of service to the masses that elected us,” he said. “We understand that the situation is not good on the part of the people in the constituencies compared to MPs. The parliamentarians have a lot of privileges compared to the grandmother
in the village, compared to that poor farmer in Vubwi.”
Zulu said parliamentarians should concentrate on working on laws that are not good.
“Let the MPs preoccupy themselves with other things that can help the people. Let them change laws that are in conflict with one another. Can they make laws that will benefit the people that they are representing! If the Ministry of Finance calls for a meeting to look at submissions for next year’s budget, let them look at Pay as You Earn.
The current Pay as You Earn is too high,” he said. “What some people are getting is quite low because a bigger chunk goes to government in form of Pay as You Earn. That is unacceptable. This issue of increasing their salaries should be suspended forthwith. We know that parliament cannot debate itself but we are pleading with them to suspend this issue.”
Days before the House moved the motion, Petauke Independent member of parliament Emmanuel Jay Jay Banda, who is the chief whip for Independent MPs in the House, said it was not true that parliamentarians are demanding increased allowances.
“I think this is just the wake of politics. You know most of the times people especially those from the opposition and ruling party, they will just bring issues to try and get at each other. The opposition
will accuse the ruling party and the ruling party will also accuse the opposition. I can assure you that there is nothing like that,” he said.
Banda said looking at the current economic status, no sensible MP can push for a salary increment.
“As for me, the people should not take this issue seriously because it is neither here nor there. The way the economy is, the MPs are representing the people and if we are to demand for salary increments, we can start with civil servants and other people who are in the private sector. Even a parent, there is no parent who will start eating before they feed the children,” he said.
Banda said he cannot support any motion that seeks to increase the allowances for MPs.
“In an event that that motion comes to parliament, we will shoot it down. As things stand, I don’t think there is any leader who can bring up such motions in parliament. I think you are aware that when fuel prices were increased, a lot of commodities went up but the salaries
for civil servants have not been increased. So as MPs we cannot ask for salary increments before asking for salary increments for our children who sent us to parliament to represent them,” said Banda.
But when Lumezi Independent member of parliament Munir Zulu, appeared on Beyond the Headlines last month, said MPs’ perks must be adjusted upwards to avoid corruption in parliamentary business.
“As much as you proponents of service would love to say it, there is no honour in this job. We try to speak for the people, our end game is to be called destitute. Our end game is to be called thieves. Our end game is that we will be laughed at. So what is wrong for members to be given that which they are entitled?” argued Zulu. “To go a little bit further these are members that approve, you have got people interrogating parastatal bodies like PAC (Public Accounts Committee). They are watching the happenings in Zesco, Development Bank of Zambia, Indeni, TAZAMA, ZAFFICO and then the MD (managing director) that are ratified by parliament get better allowances than members [of parliament]. So how do you cure corruption? If you tell me, you are governor for Bank of Zambia (BoZ) your name comes to parliament, what will stop you from bribing MPs that will get a less salary than you? Why not up the salary of those who ratify so that the one being ratified cannot buy his way into being ratified?”