Government to raise chiefs’ honoraria
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa, has hinted that honoraria for traditional leaders may rise in the 2018/19 national budget.
Presently, paramount chiefs receive monthly honoraria of K50,000, senior chiefs are paid K30,000 while traditional authorities get K18,000 monthly.
Nankhumwa was responding to a question from Zomba Chisi Member of Parliament, Mark Bottoman, on Thursday.
Bottoman said it has been years since honoraria for traditional leaders were increased, asking the government to revise the figure upwards.
Nankhumwa said a significant number of Members of Parliament have been rising in the National Assembly, where they have been pestering the Executive branch of the government to review chiefs ’ honoraria.
“Government has decided to increase honoraria for all traditional leaders across the country starting from village head, group village head, sub-T/As, T/As, senior chiefs and paramount chiefs— that’s from 2018/19 financial year,” Nankhumwa said.
He said details of the decision are expected to be articulated by Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe, through the budget statement to be presented Friday.
But Dowa East legislator, Richard Chimwendo Banda, wondered why the government has promised to increase the honoraria at a time the system is hugely dotted with accumulated arrears.
“Is it in order, Mr Speaker Sir, for government to be talking about increasing honoraria without mentioning the clearing of the backlog? Most of the chiefs have not been paid. So, while the honourable minister is giving us this good news, he should also mention that all the arrears of all the chiefs in this country will be cleared,” Chimwendo Banda said.
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