Mozambique: New General Secretary for OJM
Screen grab: STV
The Assembly of the Republic on Wednesday approved a series of perks for parliamentary employees. As a result, in addition to their salary and a car (or equivalent pecuniary amount), directors and bosses will now be entitled to various additional subsidies, paid out of Mozambican taxes, O País reports.
The draft of an instrument that aims to regulate and create a specific statute for the employees of the Parliament, either appointed by the benches or assigned to the General Secretariat of the Assembly of the Republic, was approved, in general and by consensus, by all three benches.
The approval of the Draft Law on the Statute for Parliamentary Officials and Agent stakes place at a time of restrictions on the hiring of public officials, and of acknowledged limitations in the realisation of state expenses. At the same time, discussions on minimum wages have been suspended for the second consecutive year.
Among the various elements that the approved project presents, the spotlight falls on privileges and perks for parliamentary officials and agents.
Article 17, dealing with Career Change, states that: “Any parliamentary official and agent who has obtained a professional academic or technical level corresponding to that required in professional qualifiers can be promoted, with no contest required.”
Article 21 of the approved document already states that: “The parliamentary official and agent who has exercised functions of directorship, leadership or a position of trust, for a period of five years – consecutive, or interpolated – provided that he/she has a positive performance evaluation, benefits from the right to receive the salary corresponding to the highest position, provided that he/she has held this last position for at least three years or if he/she has held different positions, the salary of the position he/she held for the longest period.”
Employees have the right to choose whether they want a car or money
The document outlines still more perks. “Employees exercising functions of directorship, leadership or a position of trust, are entitled to a vehicle for sale [viatura de alienação] or an equivalent amount in monetary value.” This means that, for example, if parliamentary management determines that the maximum amount for the purchase of cars is 1.5 million meticais, the official has the right to claim this monetary value for his or her benefit.
The perks don’t end there. Parliamentary officials with leadership positions benefit from health and medication assistance, a privilege which may cover “the spouse or unmarried partner; children and stepchildren under the age of 18, or, being students of higher education or equivalent, up to 22 years old or 25 years old respectively; and the ascendants of the couple and family members when they are exclusively in charge of the employee or agent”.
If medicines are not to be found in National Health System pharmacies, parliamentary employees have the right to purchase them from private pharmacies.
In addition, simple employees or those in leadership positions are entitled to various subsidies, as follows.
Session allowance: “During the session of the Assembly of the Republic, the parliamentary official and agents working at the Headquarters of the Assembly of the Republic are entitled to a daily attendance voucher, called the session allowance.” This means that the official and parliamentary agent qualifies for this allowance just by being present at a session, in addition to their salary at the end of the month.
Vacation Allowance: “The employee and parliamentary agent is assigned, for each year of work, a vacation allowance, corresponding to the base salary.” In other words, in the vacation month, in addition to the monthly salary, the employee is entitled to an amount corresponding to the base salary, to enjoy and rest well.
Food allowance: “The employee and parliamentary agent is given the daily food allowance, under the terms to be regulated by the Permanent Commission of the Assembly of the Republic.” This means that the employee’s salary need not be spent on food, as an additional amount will have been dedicated to that purpose.
Dress code allowance ‘[Subsídio de Atavio’]: “Parliamentary employees and agents exposed in solemn and protocol environments, to be defined by the Standing Commission of the Assembly of the Republic, are entitled to a dress allowance [subsídio de atavio].” In other words, parliamentary officials and agents will have a subsidy to purchase suitable clothes and accessories, so that they can look appropriate on solemn occasions.
Long service allowance: “[This] is given to the parliamentary official and agent who, having reached the top of his/her career, can no longer be promoted or further progress, under the terms to be regulated by the Standing Commission of the Assembly of the Republic.” This subsidy is self-explanatory.
Protocol Subsidy: “The driver assigned to the Office of the President of the Assembly of the Republic or the member of the Standing Commission of the Assembly of the Republic is entitled, in addition to the other subsidies referred to above, to the protocol subsidy, set by the Standing Commission of the Assembly of the Republic”.
These are just some of the perks and privileges agreed and approved by the three parliamentary benches, who made a point of defending them on the following lines.
“I think we shouldn’t look at the perks; we should look at the role these employees play. The Assembly of the Republic is a sovereign body. It is where the true democratic rule of law is manifested,” said Feliz Silva, on behalf of the Frelimo bench.
In turn, Ivone Soares, for Renamo, rejoiced that “we defend its approval by consensus and unanimity. Congratulations to the officials, as well as the parliamentary agents: you know better than anyone what it cost to get this instrument approved, but you won”.
The Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM) also voted in favour. “Parliamentary employees were abandoned. They were excluded from simple benefits such as the right to a pension, old-age pension, medical assistance and medication, in short, they were left to their own devices,” said José Domingos, deputy and secretary-general of the MDM.
So goes the ‘House of the People’.
By Raul Massingue
Watch the STV report below.
Os agentes parlamentares têm direito a um subsídio para aquisição de roupa adequada para ambientes solenes #assembleiadarepublica #regalias #deputadosmocambicanos #opaisonline #opais #gruposoicohttps://t.co/BxO8xXAP1A pic.twitter.com/tHMMDbMSoG
— O País Online (@opaisonline) May 5, 2021
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