By Innocent Mujeri
Civil servants have welcomed Cabinet’s decision to establish a Government Employees Mutual Savings Fund (GEMS Fund) which will cushion civil servants from extortionist financial institutions which charge exorbitant interests on the money they loan to Government workers.
Speaking to this publication on the sidelines of the ongoing 6th African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD) in Victoria Falls, the Apex Council boss, Mrs. Cecilia Alexander, said the proposed GEMS Fund is good for the workers as it will assist them when they are in need.
“The proposed GEMS Fund is a good idea as most workers were now living at the mercy of loan sharks after failing to service loans extended to them. The GEMS Fund means the workers will now be loaning from Government and not from financial institutions that only want to milk the worker,” said Alexander.
Mrs. Alexander further said the GEMS Fund shows Government’s commitment to cushion the worker from the current economic challenges in the country.
“As workers we will never be satisfied as we are still pushing the Government to do more for the workers on whose shoulders the country’s prosperity rests. However, the GEMS Fund is a step in the right direction and it also shows Government’s commitment to address challenges facing civil servants,” added the Apex Council boss.
Alexander said as Apex council they are now waiting to see how the proposed fund will be administered to benefit all workers. She said a meeting between workers representatives and officials from Government would be convened soon so that workers will get to fully understand how the fund will operate.
Announcing the 4th Cabinet resolutions yesterday, the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Monica Mutsvangwa, said Government had resolved to establish a Civil Service Mutual Savings Fund.
She said Government had already committed to inject ZW$100 million from the budget to facilitate the expedited establishment of the Fund which is expected to start next month.
A committee to decide on the implementation modalities of the Fund will be established soon and it is expected to comprise members from the Public Service Commission, Ministry of Finance and Economic Development; and the Office of the President and Cabinet.
