Isles workers commend Shein on pay rise, perks

ISSA YUSSUF in Zanzibar

Zanzibar president,Dr Ali Mohamed Shein

WORKERS in Zanzibar yesterday thanked President Ali Mohamed Shein for implementing some of their requests in improving their welfare including doubling the minimum salary effective April this year.

“Last week the civil servants received 300,000/-, up from 150,000/-. We are happy Mr President, that you keep on implementing your promises,” Mr Khamis Mwinyi, Secretary of the Zanzibar Trade Union Congress (ZATUC), said yesterday at a gathering to mark International Workers Day.

He said that Dr Shein had proved to be “a man of the people” by ensuring that the welfare of workers and the citizens were improved alongside government’s efforts to promote decent work in the Isles.

At the Workers Day gathering held at Police Grounds, Mkataleni Village, Donge in North Unguja, Mr Mwinyi emphasized in collaboration in solving workers problems and that the new drive to minimize expenditure in public offices is being misused by executives.

“The government’s order to restrict unnecessary expenditure in public offices seems to disrupt efficiency just because of ‘misinterpretation’.

There is over strictness in expenditure. It is high time executives be flexible,” ZATUC secretary said. In his speech at the ceremony also attended by the Isles Vice President Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi, Chief Secretary Dr Abdulhamid Yahya Mzee, Speaker of the House Mr Zubeir Ali Maulid, Dr Shein expressed his satisfaction with the performance of most workers.

He also commended some government institutions, particularly the revenue collection bodies on both sides of the channel, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) and Zanzibar Revenue Board (ZRB).

“We are prompted to improve welfare of the workers including salary increase if the revenue is collected well. I thank officers from the TRA and ZRB for good work. I hereby ask the respective Commissioners to reward them,” Dr Shein stressed.

He noted that the government was relying on tax collections which had increased from 13bn/-in 2010 when he took over as president to 50bn/- per month currently, as he called upon members of the business community to continue being honest in paying taxes.

The president stated that the government would definitely implement its development plans such as better roads, water, health services, and settle its internal debts including paying retirement benefits, and sustaining the universal pension scheme if all citizens and traders support the revenue collections initiatives by paying taxes.