Before We Forget: Delayed Payment of Allowances for Drivers from Government Departments

PRESS RELEASE

The Malawi Electoral Commission wishes to inform all drivers from government departments that worked during polling that it is doing everything possible to have their allowances paid.


Funding for paying the drivers was supposed to come the elections budget through the Treasury. However, the Commission has been unable to pay the drivers due to some technicalities.


To that effect the Commission has arranged a meeting this week with the Minister of Finance to discuss this and other outstanding issues.The Commission will communicate the outcome of the meeting with the Minister of Finance as regards when the polling staff would be paid their dues.


This will also include outstanding June salaries for District Elections Coordinators, Constituency Returning Officers, Drivers, ICT Data Entry Clerks, Stringers, Constituency Civic and Voter Education Assistants and Warehouse Clerks. The general public is assured that it is in the interest of the Commission to pay the temporary staff as soon as possible for the services they rendered and this matter is being treated as a high priority.


The public should also note that this does not affect teachers whoworked on the polling day because their honorarium is being paidfrom the donor basket funding that is managed by UNDP.


Signed this 11 th day of August, 2014 at Blantyre

Sangwani Mwafulirwa, Director

Media and Public Relations