LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s 462 new elected ward councillors have come out of their cocoon demanding a 250 percent raise in their monthly honoraria from the current MK100 000 to MK350 000.
They are arguing that the present rates are way below hence the need for pay hike.
The councilors made this known during a news conference in the capital Lilongwe that they would be comfortable if government considered raising their honoraria, entitlements such as loans, fuel allocation and airtime.
Further, in their demand, the councillors want to have health insurance at government expense.
In March this year government, through the Ministry of Local Government, agreed to raise the salaries of the councilors to MK100 000 and started approving motorcycle loans of about MK1.5 million.
Spokesperson of the concerned councilors, Alexander Cosmas, said they needed the raises since it is them that are closest to people in the villages unlike their colleagues the parliamentarians.
“Consider what we do on the ground. Our wards reach directly to us almost on everyday basis unlike our brothers [parliamentarians]. And to deliver accordingly, surely government needs to increase our pay,” said councilor Cosmas.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Muhlabase Mughogho was not available for reaction over councillors demand.
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One response to “Malawi ward Councillors demand 250% pay hike, loans, fuel allocations, airtime”
I hope their request is not meant to mean they are more important than graduates in civil service. There are other important avenues than politics where they can be earning more money.