tHE Zimbabwe government will lay off 2917 civil servants who have been on the payroll as “youth officers”, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has announced. Also to be axed are all civil servants aged 65 years and above as the government implements its economic reform programme aimed at cutting government expenditure and trimming the civil service.
The measures were announced by the Finance Minister while presenting the 2019 budget statement today.
Said Prof Mthuli Ncube: “Mr Speaker Sir, the 2 917 Youth Officers who still remain on the payroll, are being retired and the posts removed from the establishment, by end of December 2018.
“The 2019 National Budget is further operationalising the policy stance of retiring Government officials above the age of 65.
The Finance Minister said responsible departments were being directed to process and finalise all due retirements.
ZOOMZimbabwe understands that each of the former National Youth Service graduates was getting $446 in basic income and other monthly benefits.
Speaking to ZOOMZimbabwe over these developments, economic analyst Rufaro Machinga welcomed the move.
“Cutting the number of youth officers that had been deployed with no designation was a good decision made by the Government. These youths were taking about $1,6 million monthly in salaries,” said Machinga.
“Cumulatively this was more than $30 million per year, which was an unnecessary burden on the Government. We’re looking forward to the achievement of a sound budget through the retrenchment of the youth officers, abolishment of unnecessary foreign trips, reducing foreign missions as well as early retirement of civil servants.”
Former Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa intended to fire these youths officers popularyly know as Green Bombers in January 2018, but government shelved the idea apparently for fear of becoming unpopular ahead of the July 30 elections.
