Teachers arrears amounting to billions of shillings will be settled this fiscal year if the ongoing process of evaluation of the debts is completed within schedule.
Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa
Minister for Education and Vocational Training, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa told Parliament on Monday that evaluation of the arrears is going on jointly between his ministry and Chama cha Walimu Tanzania (CWT).
Responding to questions from Special Seats legislator (Chadema), Cecilia Paresso, Dr Kawambwa said the government is committed to settling teachers’ outstanding debts emanating from leave allowances, salary adjustments and transfer allowances.
“The process of evaluating the arrears is going on well and hopefully we will be done and ready to settle the debt within this budget year,” Dr Kawambwa said.
He, however, dismissed Ms Paresso’s calls for teachers’ salaries to be increased by 53 per cent as demanded by CWT.
“It’s impossible to increase teachers’ salaries by that margin because it will mean that the wage bill will peak at more than 3trn/- or salaries for all civil servants currently,” the minister argued saying over the past five years or so, teachers’ salaries have been increased by over 30 per cent.
In her main question, Paresso wanted to know how far the government has gone in paying teachers’ arrears since the 2012 general strike which paralysed public schools then.
In her additional question, Paresso challenged the state to speed up payment of over 30bn/- arrears for 30,000 salary arrears after being promoted. “Why is it taking very long for the government to settle teachers’ arrears?” Paresso queried.
The minister further noted that following protracted negotiations with CWT after last year’s strike which was declared illegal by High Court Labour Division, the government increased by 14.62 percent.
Meanwhile, the government has plans to establish a vocational education and training centre in each district in the country. Responding to questions posed by Nyang’wale lawmaker (CCM), Hussein Amar who, among other things, wanted to know when a VETA centre for his constituency will be established.
Mr Amar also wanted to know the government’s commitment to improve teachers’ working conditions including construction of better houses and reviewing their perks will be put into practice.
“VETA centres are very important to us as legislators because they are crucial in training youths in vocational skills so that they can employ themselves.
“What is the government’s plan in relation to this?” Sumve legislator, Richard Ndassa who presented Amar’s question asked in a supplementary question.
Dr Kawambwa said a comprehensive plan to build VETA centres in each district is there and that implementation is being done in phases. “We have received 83bn/- loan from World Bank to construct VETA regional centres in four regions of the country,” the minister said.
The minister said construction of the VETA regional centre for the new region of Geita in which Nyang’wale is a district, will start in 2014/15 financial year.
Dr Kawambwa also said under the Primary School Development Programme and Secondary School improvement initiatives, over 7,700 teachers’ houses have been built and 1,200 schools renovated.
Source Tanzania Daily News
