Councils With Salary Arrears Face Ban On Foreign Trips, Workshops And Senior Managers’ Vehicles

Local authorities with outstanding salary arrears have been barred from foreign trips and workshops outside their jurisdictions, while purchases of vehicles for senior managers have been frozen under a new Government directive.

The restrictions are part of efforts to address mounting salary backlogs and unpaid statutory obligations, which the Ministry says are affecting workers’ welfare, morale and service delivery.

Government Targets Councils With Outstanding Salaries

The directive was communicated through a circular dated October 20, issued by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works Permanent Secretary, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti.

According to the circular, the Ministry is concerned about local authorities allowing salary arrears to accumulate over several months while failing to meet their statutory obligations.

The Ministry said the situation was unacceptable.

Also Read: Government Orders 92 Local Authorities to Suspend Council Workshops and Foreign Trips

Foreign Trips And Vehicle Purchases Suspended

Under the new restrictions, local authorities with outstanding salary arrears will no longer be permitted to send officials on foreign trips.

They are also barred from organising workshops, retreats and conferences outside their respective jurisdictions while salary arrears remain unpaid.

The directive further freezes the purchase of vehicles intended for the personal allocation or conditions of service of senior managers until the affected councils have cleared their salary backlogs.

The measures are aimed at ensuring that councils address their outstanding obligations before committing resources to the restricted activities and purchases.

Councils Ordered To Submit Recovery Plans

Beyond the restrictions, the Government has instructed affected local authorities to develop financial recovery plans with clear deadlines for settling their outstanding liabilities.

The plans must detail the total amounts owed and outline how the councils intend to clear the arrears within specified timeframes.

All local authorities are also required to submit reports outlining their salary arrears and the steps they will take to comply with the directive.

The Ministry warned that administrative action would be taken against councils that fail to comply with the new requirements.

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