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By Rex Chikoko
The Citizen Correspondent
Lilongwe. The Malawi government has sent all civil servants on a 14-day Christmas holiday, a move that will help government to cut on expenditure.In a press release from the Office of the President and Cabinet, the government granted civil servants a leave of absence from duty from December 23, 2011 to January 6, 2012.
Deputy Secretary to Government Nector Mhura said government would save money in the process but said the amount would only be known after the holiday. "At the moment we cannot know how much we are going to save. Somebody has to do the calculations after the holiday," he said.
He, however, said it was not government's intention to save money when President Bingu wa Mutharika granted civil servants the holiday but rather to accord the workers time to enjoy christmas and new year festivities. The press release read in part: "It has pleased President Bingu wa Mutharika, in his capacity as minister responsible for the Civil Service, to grant civil servants leave of absence from duty from December 23, 2011 to January 6, 2012, in order to allow civil servants sufficient time with their families. However the presidents 'special' dispensation did not apply to civil servants involved in the provision or delivery of emergency and essential services, such as health personnel, immigration and customs officials, the Malawi Police Service and others who will be granted the holiday after the Christmas season.
The press release reads: "In this regard, Controlling Officers of such ministries or departments are required to make appropriate arrangements to ensure that such civil servants who shall work during this period, are allowed leave of absence from duty for an equivalent number of days in the course of the new year."
But President of the Union of government workers Elia Kamphinda Banda, while describing the granting Civil servants a holiday as a positive move, said it is important that those who will work during the holidays be paid over time.
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