By Admore Marambanyika

Government has announced a salary increment for its employees in the first quarter of 2026 while skirting the actual percentages.

Responding to questions during the 2026 National Budget debate the National Assembly last week, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube said treasury had plans to adjust salaries.

The Finance Minister explained that salary adjustments for civil servants are scheduled for the first quarter and will be based on the job evaluation exercise

“One issue is the budget for salary adjustments for civil servants in the first quarter. It is going to happen, and it is based on the job evaluation exercise,” said Ncube.

Public service unions have not yet responded to the announcement but are on record of demanding their pre2018 salary scales when the lowest paid worker was earning $540-00 a month as a benchmark to restore salaries to their effective US dollar value before October 2018. Of late the government has offered nominal  increases such as the $40-00 in late 2024, a $20-00 Cost Of Living Adjustment in March 2024 and recently a $150-00 "bonus" for late 2025, which are deemed insufficient.

Civil servants have complained that they are struggling to afford basic needs owing to the gap between official and parallel market exchange rates which creates major challenges for workers who earn part of their wages in local currency.