They will also get six months’ salary arrears, it was announced in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

The government raised the minimum wage in January by 25 percent to Sh100,000 from the previous Sh80,000. But payments of the new salaries could not start immediately due to lack of enough funds.

Speaking at a press conference, the Director of Establishment President’s Office, Public Service Management (PSM), Mr Frederic Mmbaga, said the government has set aside enough funds during the 2008/9 in order to cater for increments of the minimum wage.

He said after long discussions with the workers’ association in the country, it was proposed that civil servants be paid the minimum wage of Sh100,000 from January this year.

The minimum wage will be accompanied by salary arrears of six months, these being from January to June this year, said Mr Mmbaga.

Last January the then PSM minister, Mrs Hawa Ghasia, announced the revised new salaries. These showed that the lowest paid civil servant would take home a monthly salary of Sh100,000.

She said the government would back-date the arrears to January and the new salary would be catered for in the budget for the 2008/2009 financial year.

Due to lack of funds, the proposed increase for 2007 will now be included in the 2008/2009 financial year, said Mrs Ghasia.

The salary increase came about amid the announcement of a countrywide strike to pressurize the government to raise the salaries in order to cater for the high costs of living.

However, the strike was called off soon after announcement of the new salary increment.

The Trade Union Congress of Tanzania (Tucta) had demanded a minimum wage of Sh315,000. The government decision to increase it to Sh100,000 is a 23.8 per cent increase against the 290 per cent sought by the union.

After the announcement of the new salary in January, a team comprising union and government representatives was formed in a bid to avert a countrywide strike.

The Tanzania Local Government Workers Union (TALGWU) secretary general, Mr Jackson Makongwa, and an official of the Tanzania Union of Government and Health Employees (TUGHE), Mr Ally Kiwenge, concurred with the government decision.

However, Mr Mmbaga said its implementation would be effective from July. The salary arrears from January to June would be paid to nearly 300,000 civil servants following the 23.8 per cent increase on the previous salaries.

Mr Mmbaga added that the government was committed to raising the standard of living of its workers by revising their salaries because of the rising cost of living which they face.

Meanwhile, the government through the PSM will inaugurate the public service week from June 16 to 23. Five government agencies will be launched during the week which will be opened by the chief secretary, Mr Philemon Luhanjo.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam, an official from the PSM, Ms Zamaradi Kawawa, named them as the Employment Agency of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam Rapid Transport Agency, Bagamoyo Institute of Arts and Culture, National Food Reservation and Goods Purchasing Service.

More than 100 public offices will participate in the week. They will educate the public on their activities and handle complaints and challenges from the public regarding services offered by public offices.