More can be done on minimum wage
Malawi is being led by people who have no idea on what its people are going through.
With each budget review sitting, Malawians wait to hear of how taxation, interest rates and wages have been revised in order to plan with their finances.
This was the exact case last week but, as usual, the news about the minimum wage has been a disappointment to the people.
In the 2017/18 budget, our dear Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe raised the minimum wage from K687 to K1,250 per day and from K19,000 to K25,000 per month.
Now, it is commendable that it has been seen fit to raise the wages after three years of various calls to do so but this increment is simply not enough. Not when one is expected to feed a family, pay various bills and even support the family’s needs for a whole month.
In the past three years, the prices of basic goods such as bread and sugar have inflated. To top that off, essentials such as milk and water have been taxed by the very government that claims to be working towards making the lives of Malawians comfortable.
It is commendable to note that Members of Parliament (MPs) are in agreement with the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions that the increased amounts should be further increased.
At least, the MPs interact with their constituents and know the facts on the ground, unlike our esteemed throne-warmers who continue to make decisions that are poorly researched.
It is high time a budget review yielded some sort of good news for all Malawians; including the marginalised.
Government sings the song of not allowing foreign bosses to abuse Malawian workers, yet it is in the forefront making its people suffer.
More can and should be done for better Malawi that we are constantly promised.
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