Tanzania: Isles Doubles Minimum Wage
Zanzibar — Zanzibar Minister for Finance and Planning, Dr Khalid Salum Mohamed, yesterday tabled the 2016/2017 budget, announcing an increase in minimum wage from 150,000/- to 300,000/- starting last month.
Amid cheers from the Reps and visitors who turned up at the House of Representatives to listen to the budget speech, the minister said the basic salary rise aimed at improving the welfare of civil servants in the Isles as promised by President Ali Mohamed Shein during his election campaigns last year.
“Our elderly (senior) citizens should also expect sustainable universal pensions,” Dr Mohamed said as he announced the 841.5bn/- budget for 2016/2017, which seeks to promote the economy without relying much on external aid. He said the budget includes 482.4bn/- from internal revenue sources, 324.8bn/- from development partners, 33bn/- from domestic borrowing and 1.3bn/- from debt relief.
Zanzibar Revenue Board (ZRB) and Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) have been tasked to collect 237.4bn/- and 188.8bn/- respectively within the next fiscal year. “We are prepared to improve revenue collection through various channels such as avoiding unnecessary expenditures in public offices including travels and controlling illegal trade, including smuggling of fuel,” Dr Mohamed said, adding that any donor is welcomed to provide unconditional support to Zanzibar.
