LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Development this week disclosed that is ready to pay 500 former Members of Young Pioneers (MYPs).
This follows the completion of identification process National Audit Office (NAO) undertook.
The announcement comes MYPs’ demand for terminal benefits who have been having four-month vigil at Kamuzu Memorial tower, at Area 18 in the capital Lilongwe.
Finance Minister made the announcement in the current seating of Parliament following Lilongwe Msozi South member of Parliament (MP) Vitus Dzoole Mwale (MCP) supplementally question he asked on what the ministry was doing to ensure that the ex-MYPs are paid their dues to resolve the matter swiftly.
Gondwe said following an audit and verification exercise by the National Audit Office (NAO), about 18 former MYPs had been paid so far from the compensations and losses allocation at the Accountant General.
The minister explained that government acknowledged that the disarmament of MYP in 1993 and repeal of the Act which formally recognised them a year later, MYPs deserved to be paid their terminal benefits.
He observed that MYP was established in 1965, but the workers were only placed in the civil service in 1992.
Gondwe added that conditions for their dismissal, according to the Malawi Young Pioneers Repeal Act of 1994, was that they may be seconded, assigned or transferred within the civil service but not the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) or Malawi Police Service.
“As you know, terminal benefits are subject to audit. So far, 18 have been paid and a further 492 are in the process of being paid because they had valid documents as audited by NAO.
“I have met with the representatives of the former MYPs and only those with valid documents will be paid,” said Gondwe.
But government maintained it would not make a pay out before conducting an audit.
On the timeframe for resolving the matter, Gondwe said the ministry could not give one but for those confirmed, payments could start.
“During our last meeting on 6 November, we agreed that those who are camping would leave after the names were released, but we are surprised that they are still camping outside Capital Hill,” surprised Gondwe.
The finance minister said not all were paid between 2012 and 2014 after they presented their grievances to government in 2011.
“While we thought the matter was over, another wave of ex-MYPs came to demand their benefits so the government decided to process these on the basis of what was outlined,” Gondwe said.
Treasury on Wednesday the past week disclosed that the terminal benefits will come from the Pensions and Gratuities Vote which was allocated MK70.6 billion in the 2017/18 National Budget.
In the audit, government asked the former MYPs to produce copies of their letters of appointment and they had to be only those who were in service on May 2 1994 when the MYP was disbanded through a repeal Act in Parliament.
Those the ministry responsible for the public service could not find placements for through secondment, transfer, promotion or otherwise assigned would be retired or have their services terminated and paid their terminal benefits.
It is the latter group which the government has been grappling to deal with.
The former MYPs, the disbanded and disarmed paramilitary wing of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) during the single-party rule, camped at the memorial tower on the outskirts of Capital Hill for four months demanding their terminal benefits.
MYP was initially started as an institution to empower the youth with various technical and agricultural skills.
It was later discovered to be acting as a paramilitary wing of MCP before its disarmament in the transition from single party to plural politics.
