Lukong Pius Nyuylime
28 April 2008
There was a smile on every civil servant's face that appeared before the payment counter either in banks or public treasury last Friday.
What initially sounded like a folk tale when government announced it will successfully implement the Head of State's Decree stepping up salaries became true. The payment of the increased salaries effectively began as announced by the Minister of Finance.
Two interesting surprises were observed; payment as early as on the 25th of the month and the promptitude with which banks and public treasuries opened their doors to their clients. In Yaounde, there was every evidence of satisfaction from those who got their new pay. "The increase went above my expectations. In fact, I expected an increase of CFA 15,000 but I ended up having an increase that can enable me pay my rents", Marie Pascaline Mbazoa, a worker at the Ministry of Public Health acknowledged. In the same vein, her husband who was served immediately after her expressed his total joy, stating that his family must celebrate the increase. He told Cameroon Tribune his salary had increased by CFA 40,000. "We are passing through the bakery right away", he said.
The ambiance in the capital city was to say the least effervescent. Reports from the provinces say the situation was no different. The mad rush for the new salary last Friday was far from being the urge to get paid. Some people simply had the anxiety to know how much they will henceforth earn. Those paid by banks could not get their pay slips on the spot. They were told to wait until they are brought to the bank later. But many were impatient and rushed to the Computer Development Centre (CENADI) where they had all the luck to be served with the pay slips free of charge. In fact, CENADI authorities had decided to give out the document to any person wishing to have it before it reaches his or her bank.
Like the case has always been, not everyone was totally satisfied. One of the State workers, of a lower class, contract worker, complained having seen a very insignificant change in her salary. "I have never benefitted from housing allowance. I had very high hopes this time around considering my 20 years of service to the State. Unfortunately nothing has come my way and I am told that contract workers do not have. I am asking myself if these people are not Cameroonians like others", she complained, before saying that half a bread is better than none.
Accompanied by the Minister of Public Service and Administrative Reforms, Emmanuel Bonde, a representative of the Minister of Defence and that of the Delegate General for National Security, the Minister of Finance announced during a press briefing last Wednesday that salaries will henceforth be paid as from the 25th of every month, beginning with the new ones. The new salary situation will entail extra spending of about CFA seven billion, Essimi Menye said.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Cameroon Tribune. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
