Unguja. Serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar imetangaza kima cha chini cha mishahara kwa sekta binafsi, kikipanda kutoka Sh300,000 hadi kufika Sh347,000.
Akitangaza viwango hivyo jana, Waziri wa Nchi Ofisi ya Kazi, Uchumi na Uwekezaji, Mudrick Ramadhan Soraga alisema viwango hivyo vitaanza kutumika Aprili mwaka huu.
Alisema hatua ya kupandisha viwango hivyo vya mishahara imekuja baada ya kushauriana na bodi ya ushauri ya mambo ya mishahara inayojumuisha Serikali, Jumuiya ya Waajiri (Zanema) na Shirikisho la Vyama vya Wafanyakazi Zanzibar (Zatuc).
Soraga alisema kwa muda mrefu Zanzibar ilikuwa haijabadilisha kima cha mshahara kwa sekta binafsi, ambapo kiwango kinachotumika hivi sasa ni cha mwaka 2017, huku kukiwa kumetokea mabadiliko mbalimbali ya kiuchumi, ikiwamo kupanda kwa gharama za maisha.
“Tayari imeshatangazwa kwenye gazeti la Serikali, hivyo kwa mamlaka niliyopewa na sheria ya ajira namba 11 ya mwaka 2005 kifungu 96 nachukua fursa hii kutangaza rasmi kutumika kima cha chini cha mishahara wa sekta binafsi kuanzia Aprili,” alisema Soraga.
Alisema wafanyakazi wenye ajira ya mkataba wa kudumu na wa muda kima cha chini kimepanda kutoka Sh300,000 hadi kufikia Sh347,000.
Wafanyakazi wa majumbani ambao wanalala kwa waajiri wao watalipwa Sh100, 000 kutoka Sh80,000 na wafanyakazi wa majumbani wanaokwenda na kurudi majumbani kwao watalipwa Sh120,000 kutoka Sh80,000 ya awali.
“Viwango kwa wafanyakazi wenye hadhi ya mkataba wa kutwa wenye ujuzi na wasio na ujuzi havikubadilika, vitabaki kama vilivyo ambapo kwa wenye ujuzi watalipwa Sh30,000 na wafanyakazi wasio na ujuzi watalipwa Sh25,000 kwa kutwa,” alisema.
Pia, alisema baada ya kuzingatia mambo mbalimbali na masilahi ya Taifa kumekuwa na kiwango kipya kwa wataalamu wa kigeni, ambapo kuanzia sasa wageni wote wanaoajiriwa nchini kitakuwa ni Dola za Marekani 1,000 kwa mwezi.
“Naomba uamuzi huu upokelewe na utekelezwe kama ulivyoelekezwa na mamlaka za usimamizi zinaendelea kusimamia agizo hili kwa taasisi,” alisema.
Akizungumza kuhusu hatua hiyo, Kaimu Katibu Mkuu wa Zatuc, Ali Salim alisema licha ya kiwango hicho kuwa kidogo, hakuna namna ya kufanya maana tayari uamuzi umeshatolewa.
Alisema katika mchakato wa kupitia viwango hivyo walipendekeza kiwango cha chini cha mshahara kiwe Sh600,000 kutokana na hali halisi ya kupanda kwa gharama za maisha, lakini kwa sababu imepitishwa kiasi hicho lazima wakubaliane nacho.
“Haya mapendekezo yanapitia kwenye bodi, tulijadiliana tukavutana lakini ndio hivyo mwisho wa siku lazima kuwe na muafaka na ikishafika mnakubaliana, kwa sababu tayari uamuzi umeshatolewa hakuna njia nyingne,” alisema.
Naye Salim Othman, ambaye ni mtaalamu wa uchumi alisema mshahara mzuri ni muhimu kwa kila mfanyakazi, mbali na kupata mahitaji yake na familia, huleta motisha na kuongeza ari ya kufanya kazi.
Kwa mantiki hiyo, alisema kiwango hicho bado ni kidogo ikilinganishwa na hali halisi ya maisha ilivyo kwa sasa, hivyo kutaka jambo hilo liangaliwe kwa umakini.
“Hii mishahara inatumia muda mrefu kupanda, kwa hiyo inapochelewa tukumbuke kuna mambo mengi katikati yanatokea, kwa hiyo viwango hivi vingekuwa vinapandishwa kila wakati,” alisema.
Aidha, kwa upande wa Tanzania bara Serikali ilitangaza nyongeza ya kima cha chini cha mishahara kwa wafanyakazi wa sekta binafsi Desemba mwaka jana, ambapo kima cha chini mfanyakazi wa migahawani na nyumba za kulala wageni ni Sh150,000 kwa mwezi.
Wafanyakazi wa hotelini Sh180,000, hoteli za kitalii Sh300,000, mfanyakazi wa kazi za ndani ambaye haishi na mwajiri atalipwa kuanzia Sh120,000, wasio katika kundi hilo watalipwa Sh60,000 kwa mwezi, huku wafanyakazi wa kazi za ndani walioajiriwa na wanadiplomasia na wafanyabiashara wakubwa wakilipwa kima cha chini cha Sh250,000.
Katika hoteli kubwa za kitalii, mfanyakazi atalipwa kima cha chini Sh300,000, hoteli za kati Sh180,000, huku katika kampuni kubwa za kimataifa na huduma ya ulinzi wakilipwa Sh222,000 na wa kampuni ndogo wakilipwa Sh148,000.
Wafanyakazi wanaofanya kazi za kutoa huduma za utoaji mizigo na usambazaji watalipwa kima cha chini cha mshahara Sh360,000, ilhali wale wanaofanya kazi katika huduma za usafiri nchi kavu watalipwa Sh300,000.
Source: mwananchi.co.tz
Share this news
This Year's Most Read News Stories
Will Tanzania agree to Starlink Internet Service?
Will the Tanzania government let Starlink, the world-famous internet service provider, operate in the country?Continue Reading
Inside Tanzania’s Life-Saving Birthcare Model
Tanzania is winning the battle against maternal and newborn deaths, as the latest numbers reveal a significant decline.
“Tanzania is committed to reducing maternal and newborn mortality and ensuring safe deliveries as part of the national development plan. The Safer Births Bundle of Care is one of the key strategies supporting this effort,” said Dr. Benjamin Kamala, the Senior Research Scientist at Haydom Lutheran Hospital and Principal Investigator for the program, leading its implementation across five regions in Tanzania.
A groundbreaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the innovative health program in Tanzania – centered on regular, on-the-job training for healthcare workers – reduced maternal deaths by 75% and early newborn deaths by 40%. The three-year study, conducted across 30 high-burden healthcare facilities in Tanzania, tracked approximately 300,000 mother-baby pairs under the Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC) programme. The programme focuses on improving care for mothers and babies during the day of birth, the critical time when a woman goes into labor and delivers her baby.
Maternal health is a key focus of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Target 3.1, which aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Tanzania’s program combines continuous, simulation-based training for frontline healthcare workers alongside innovative clinical tools to improve labour monitoring (fetal heart rate monitoring) and newborn resuscitation.It also uses data to drive ongoing improvements, ensuring that healthcare workers have the skills, confidence, and competence to manage birth-related complications for both mothers and newborns.
“We work closely with healthcare workers, equipping them with the necessary tools to improve the quality of care, ensuring they can effectively manage both mothers and babies during and after childbirth,” Dr. Kamala said, which helps them build on over a decade of innovative research and collaboration to improve care during childbirth.
“To give you a sense of the scale of the burden of maternal and newborn mortality in Tanzania when the Safer Births Bundles of Care program was in early development in 2015/16, there were around 556 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 25 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births,” he said.
The published study demonstrates the “transformative impact” of the Safer Births Bundle of Care program conducted across 30 hospitals in five high-burden regions of Tanzania, where there were about 300,000 mother-baby pairs.
Maternal deaths at the start of the program were recorded at 240 per 100,000 live births, with postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders being the leading causes of death, he said. Over the 24-month study period, this number dropped to approximately 60 per 100,000 live births, representing a 75% reduction. The number of newborn deaths – which are primarily due to breathing difficulties and complications related to prematurity – declined by 40% – from 7 deaths per 1,000 live births to 4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“These results are remarkable,” Dr. Kamala said.
According to Dr. Kamala, the 75% reduction in maternal deaths was not expected, and a key lesson was the important role of the in-situ team simulations – including for postpartum bleeding – with reflective debriefings that trained facilitators led.
“This seems to be a major part of the success of the program,” he said. “We are delighted by these results and hope that other countries adopt and scale the Safer Births Bundle of Care program… Beyond the numbers, the Safer Births Bundle of Care program has fostered a dramatic culture shift in our healthcare system,” he said. “Healthcare workers are now more confident and better equipped to handle birth-related complications for both mothers and babies.”
Maternal death drop
Dr. Kamala attributed the 60-70% reduction in newborn deaths in Geita and Manyara to several factors.
“Firstly, Manyara was the first site for implementation, giving the region more time to adapt and experience the impact of the program. Most importantly, both regions had a high burden of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, making them ideal targets for focused intervention. As a result, newborn deaths decreased by 60-70%, showcasing a clear positive impact on newborn survival,” he said.
Dr. Kamala said another possible explanation is the differences in the culture of practices, where some health facilities reported inaccurate data due to the fear of blame and shame. However, with the project’s implementation, reporting became more accurate after mplementation. Some regions, such as Tabora, reported an increase in the number of referrals to the study hospitals from other care centers after the program was implemented. These were more likely to be late admissions, which increase the likelihood of poor health outcomes, he said.
After the implementation of the program, there was a 40% decrease in newborn deaths within the first 24 hours after birth, according to the study.
Dr. Kamala said Tanzania’s remarkable progress in reducing maternal mortality by 80% is driven by strategic investments and innovative programs focused on improving maternal and child survival rates.
“Over 2,000 new healthcare facilities have been developed, free health services are being provided to expectant mothers and children under the age of five, and emergency obstetric care – including better transport to hospitals in rural areas are helping to ensure timely, life-saving interventions.
“Most importantly, the Ministry of Health works in collaboration with healthcare workers, hospitals, and development partners to strengthen the skills of frontline healthcare workers, which has been a key factor in driving this progress.
“Political leadership, alongside strategic partnerships and financing, has been crucial in driving progress in maternal and newborn health,” he said.
The program was made possible by the support of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents, Norad, UNICEF, and Laerdal Global Health, as well as the Ministry of Health and Haydom Lutheran Hospital. Their partnership and investment enabled the scaling of the Safer Births Bundle of Care to 30 hospitals and supported the research. “The government has now scaled the program to over 150 sites, and there are plans for further expansion to three regions this year and then nationally,” he said.
Dr. Kamala outlined key policy recommendations for other governments can adopt to prioritize maternal health.
“Firstly, it focuses on cost-effective and relatively simple interventions that are essential to preventing maternal and newborn deaths. For example, stronger primary healthcare that is delivered in the community and a well-trained healthcare workforce are also critical. Additionally, working in close collaboration with national, regional, and local health authorities is key.”
He said Tanzania’s approach, where the Safer Births Bundle of Care program was successfully scaled and sustained by aligning the initiative with national guidelines for obstetrical and newborn care. In addition, the creation of mentorship programs and regular supervision has helped to sustain the results.
Looking ahead
Tanzania now plans to expand to three new regions in 2025, followed by a nationwide rollout.
The success of the program has attracted interest from other countries, with Botswana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, and Namibia expressing interest in adapting the program to their healthcare system. In Nigeria, the program has already been launched in two states, Gombe and Borno, marking a significant step in its scaling.
Source: allafrica.com
CCM ready to task state organs on Zanzibar Airport deal
Ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi-Zanzibar has said it is ready to task state organs to investigate some of the claims against its government that have been raised by opposition politicians on the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (AAKIA).Continue Reading
