State basic wages in Mozambique vary between 2,899 and 120,171 meticais, but ‘bosses’ earn more than double with subsidies – A Verdade

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State basic wages in Mozambique vary between 2,899 and 120,171 meticais, but ‘bosses’ earn more than double with subsidies – A Verdade

7:49 CAT | 14 Jun 2017

Voa (File photo)

Salary increases approved by the government in April raised the minimum wage for Mozambican government employees and agents to 2,899 meticais a month. The highest salary was officially pegged at 120,171 meticais, but subsidies for officials with higher education and in positions of leadership can nearly double their monthly income.

So the next time you feel your child’s teacher is unmotivated, or that you are poorly served at a health facility, or the police are more concerned about ‘refresco’ [bribe] than punishing offenders, remember that a large number of these fellow citizens aren’t paid enough to buy even a basic monthly grocery basket, currently estimated at 16,000 meticais by the Organisation of Mozambican Workers [National Trade Union Centre, OTM].

Salaries in teaching range from 4,715 meticais to 38,599 meticais, and while @Verdade has not been able to determine the number of teachers in each of the more than 10 professional categories, the School Survey indicates that more than 60 percent of the educators do not have training beyond the 10th grade or have equivalent training in the Institutes of Primary Teaching. They are therefore far below instructor and pedagogical technicians level N3, whose highest remuneration was set at 14,140 meticais.

Health professionals who bring us into this world and look after us thereafter earn between 4,715 meticais for technical health assistants and 47,086 meticais, for doctors.

It is important to remember that becoming a doctor takes at least 10 years of training at the end of which you can earn between 24,477 and 34,567 meticais. It takes many more years and a lot of work to reach the pinnacle of your career, when you will earn only 47,086 meticais.

Police officers get “derisory amounts”

The women and men who are supposed to guarantee our security and that of our possessions, as well as safety on the road, are paid between 5,382 meticais and 10,118 meticais. Naturally, with ‘refrescos’ [bribes], a lot more can be earned, and in less than 30 working days.

Inspectors who direct investigations and are paid between 11,894 and 20,452 meticais are expected to anticipate the actions of criminals, who are said to be increasingly well organised. Police of the Republic of Mozambique top brass are estimated to earn about 59,202 meticais, or, as one well-known criminal would say, “derisory amounts”.

Paradoxically, professionals whose work is much less impactful than education, health and protection earn more than double the so-called priority sectors. For example, the lowest salary of Supreme Court, Administrative Court and the Office of the Attorney General officials is 9,644, and the top salary is 49,856 meticais.

Subsidies total more than 100 percent of base salary

@Verdade further reveals the remunerations for positions of direction, leadership and trust.

Mozambican government employees and agents receive monthly a series of subsidies as, for instance, taking into account their academic training, subsidies for risk, bonus, exclusivity and others, which for many of those serving in leadership posts more than equal their basic salary. Meanwhile, these wage maps do not include the remunerations of ministers, deputies or the president. In addition to remuneration and allowances, they are entitled to a luxury car, escort, monthly shopping expenses, medical insurance, telephone subsidies and other undisclosed official benefits.

More on the remuneration of state officials and agents in Mozambique below.