What Message Is Government Conveying To Civil Servants?

Jan 21, 2004

SIR — I am troubled about the non-payment of pensioners. On December 17, 2003 it was reported that the Government has accumulated sh256b in pension arrears for civil servants.

SIR — I am troubled about the non-payment of pensioners. On December 17, 2003 it was reported that the Government has accumulated sh256b in pension arrears for civil servants. While the Ministry of public service is looking for money to pay the arrears, the Electoral Commission has submitted a budget of sh29b to the cabinet for a likely referendum in 2005”. On January 5, your staff writer, Adyeri Kanyaihe reminded us of the abject poverty pensioners are experiencing. He mentioned James Bizarwenda, who is now 80 years old, blind and retired in 1992 but 11 years later has not been paid a single shilling!
Radio Uganda on January 9 said that state minister for planning, Mr Isaac Musumba has said that if the budget for the referendum was approved, the Government would find the money. The misery pensioners are experiencing is an irony and a contradiction of what the government is telling us every day — the eradication of poverty in our villages.
The government is the biggest debtor to senior citizens of Uganda!
What message is it sending to the current civil servants?
It may become hard to fight corruption in Uganda because civil servants know that when they retire there is nothing to fall back to!
If I were to prevail over the cabinet, I would authorise the suspension of the referendum and ensure that pensioners are paid some money, as a matter of urgency.

Rev. Canon George Noel Enyagu
Soroti

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