Metro

Zambian govt approves minimum wage review, conditions of service for low income earners

Published

7 months ago

November 2, 2023

The Zambian cabinet has approved a review of a statutory instrument on the review of the minimum wages and conditions of service for low income earners, including domestic workers, shop workers and employees covered under the General Order.

President Hakainde Hichilema had, on October 30, called on the cabinet during its meeting at the State House to deliberate on policy and legislative matters that would foster national development and improve the general livelihood of the people.

Chief Government Spokesperson, Cornelius Mweetwa, who announced the review on Wednesday in a statement in Lusaka, said the initiative was adopted following the recommendation of the Tripartite Consultative Labour Council meeting at which government, trade unions and the representatives of employers agreed to review the existing minimum wages and conditions of employment.

“The proposed revision in minimum wages has been necessitated mainly due to the changes in the cost of living, the average national earnings, inflation, unemployment rate and capacity of employers to pay,” Mweetwa said.

He added that the revision of the minimum wages and conditions of service was in line with the International Labour Organisation Convention No. 131, the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention for Protection of Vulnerable Workers.

Mweetwa noted that the cabinet was of the view that the category of affected workers needed “some kind of relief to enable them meet their needs and support to their families” owing to the rising cost of living in the country.

Mweeta also said the cabinet had approved the issuance of the National Pension Scheme Penalty Waiver Regulations which is aimed to operationalise the provisions of the National Pension Scheme Amendment Act No. 20 of 2022 on the Penalty Waiver.

He said the Statutory Instrument on the penalty waiver was intended to reduce the debt burden for businesses and allow employers to clear their outstanding dues with NAPSA with the incentive that part of the debt would be written off.

“It will provide relief to businesses that were hard hit during the Covid-19 pandemic, encourage small-scale businesses including employers from the informal economy such as employers of domestic workers, to register their employees with the scheme without worrying about high penalties for non-payment of past contributions,” Mweetwa added.

Related Topics:Cabinet Featured High Cost of Living Wage Review Zambia

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Metro

Hope for persons with disability, as Muleya shares promising story of inclusivity in governance

Published

17 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

Frederick John Muleya, a differently abled person based in Choma town, Southern Province, has shared some insights of changes being made to people like him in discussing freedom of expression and other various issues.

Recently appointed as a Ward Development Committee for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to represent persons with disabilities in his area, Muleya expressed optimism of inclusivity and freedom of expression.

He expressed believe that this was a starting point for persons with disabilities to have a platform which can be used to discuss critical issues such as freedom of expression.

In an interview with Zambia Monitor in Choma, Muleya’s hope was that persons with disabilities would now be able to have freedom of expression, especially through media coverage.

“In terms of freedom, right now there are some changes but before this government, it was very difficult. The new government is trying to be inclusive with persons with disabilities. There are some changes.

“Sometimes, we have been called to Choma Mano [radio station in Choma] to express ourselves and say what we want from the government. The media is not really giving us a platform to express ourselves, but they are trying,” he said.

Asked if he felt persons with disabilities were fully included regarding freedom of expression, Muleya said; “Not yet included but there are some changes. There are some promises, as I said earlier, it is the first time to include persons with disability in the CDF committee.

“So, we see some changes that maybe in future things will not be the same as they were before.”

Meanwhile, Muleya emphasised the need for public places, including media entities to consider putting slops for people living with disabilities in their building.

“We find that measurements of the doors, a person using a wheelchair cannot use the toilet, so when people are planning to build structures, we have to be included so that we decide together,” he said.

Muleya’s views show signs of improvement in freedom of expression by the government to ensure that people living with disabilities are included in the decision-making process.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Metro

Nigerian govt to open student loan application portal May 24

Published

19 hours ago

May 17, 2024

Akanimoh Etim

The Nigerian government has announced that the portal for the long awaited student loan scheme will open on May 24, 2024, under the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund).

The announcement which was made in a statement on Thursday by the media lead for the NELFund, Nasir Ayantogo, stated that once the portal is opened, eligible student will have the opportunity of applying for educational loans.

Ayantogo said the opening of the application portal marked a significant milestone in the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to fostering accessible and inclusive education for all Nigerian students.

The portal, according Ayantogo, provides a user-friendly interface for students to submit their loan applications conveniently.

“Through the portal, students can now access loans to pursue their academic aspirations without financial constraints.

“We encourage all eligible students to take advantage of this opportunity to invest in their future and contribute to the growth and development of our nation.

“Students can access the portal on www.nelf.gov.ng to begin application,” the statement said.

President Bola Tinubu had, on June 12, 2023, signed the Access to Higher Education Act, 2023, into law to enable indigent students to access interest-free loans for their educational pursuits in any Nigerian tertiary institution.

The Act, popularly known as the Students Loan Law, also established the Nigerian Education Loan Fund to process all loan requests, grants, disbursement, and recovery.

While signing the Act into law, Tinubu had said:

“This is not an exclusive programme. It is catering to all of our young people. Young Nigerians are gifted in different areas.

“This is not only for those who want to be doctors, lawyers, and accountants. It is also for those who aspire to use their skilled and trained hands to build our nation.

“In accordance with this, I have instructed NELFund to explore all opportunities to inculcate skill-development programmes because not everybody wants to go through a full university education,” he had said.

Tinubu had said that he based his decision on the need for the scheme to accommodate those who may not want to pursue a university education, noting that skill acquisition is as essential as obtaining undergraduate and graduate academic qualifications.