No jobs in govt - JK.

President Jakaya Kikwete

President Jakaya Kikwete has said that unemployed people should not have hopes of securing job opportunities from the civil service and instead they should seek jobs in the private sector because there is no vacancy in the government at the moment.

He said in the ten years of his tenure his government has created over 10 million job opportunities, and over 600,000 were absorbed in the civil service.

The president admitted, however, that the problem of unemployment was a big challenge but said that his government would continue to create conducive environment for the private sector in order to create more job opportunities.

He said his government has improved salaries in the private sector from 48,000/- in 2005 to 700,000/- in some private sector.

On teachers outstanding payments, Kikwete said that the government owes them over 53bn/ for 70668 teachers and that 29243  teachers have already been paid 23bn/-

The president also assured workers the government will do its best to solve all the issues raised by the workers including reducing Pay As You Earn tax from 12 per cent to at least 9 per cent.

Addressing a May Day rally in Mwanza yesterday, the Trade  Union Congress of Tanzania (TUCTA) Nicholaus Mgaya had asked the government to reduce ‘Pay As You Earn’ (PAYE),: “Deduction of 18 per cent from our salary every month is high, and we call on government to reduce this to at least 9 per cent, so that we can save.” 

“There are employers who do not pay workers the salary scales approved by the boards,” he noted, calling upon them to do so without further delay. 

On employment agencies that refuse to respect workers rights such as health, leave and maternity, he said they must do so with without delay.

Tucta Secretary General Mgaya, said employers must provide their employees with health allowance, leave and improvement of work environment.

The Chairperson of Association of Tanzania Employers (ATE), Almas Maige said despite government efforts to improve the work environment, challenges still remain.

“Currently employers are challenged with how to improve productivity… this situation has to be addressed in order to bring a change at work places,” he said.

President Jakaya Kikwete was the chief guest at the Lake Victoria city and promised his government would deal with the workers’ demands and see to what extent it can solve them.

“Within my 10 years as head of state, I have done my best to improve working conditions, environment and solved various challenges facing workers,” he said.

He said workers’ unions increased from 18 to 30, whereby through them the employees have solved their problems and improved labour relations.

Meanwhile, the President stressed that it was crucial for every worker to register wit a pension fund of their choice, and through indexation formula fund members would get equal pensions.

On so Social Security Regulatory Authority (SSRA), he said: “The new formula has increased benefits to 72.5 per cent, 60 per cent and 67 per cent for all pensioners. “This is good, so SSRA has already solved pensioners’ problem now.”