Scandal-ridden GMB in late salary disbursement storm
low remuneration, patronage appointments, greed, poor institutional governance and lack of political will to curb corruption in public institutions are the key causes to scandals at GMB
Harare- SCANDAL ridden Grain Marketing Board (GMB) is once again in the eye of a storm following late disbursements of payments to employees amid allegations that some top officials are involved in scandalous activities ,putting pressure on the wage bill, Express Mail Zim can report.
In a circular released to employees this week and authored by Human Resources Manager one N Makoni ,salaries will be paid late over uspecified “on-going engagements”
“Management wishes to advise that there will be a delay in payment of salaries for the month of March 2024. This is due to on-going engagements, resultantly, processing of salaries has been affected.
” Subsequently the pay dates of 22 March 2024 for permanent employees and 25 March 2024 for contract employees have not been met.
“In view of the above, we anticipate we will pay on Wednesday 10 2024.
However, investigations by Express Mail Zim established that due to the speculative nature of the economy, some bosses in the finance department are allegedley in the habit of buying forex on the market soon after Treasury releases funds.
“What these guys do is when Treasury releases funds to GMB, they delay payments and spin the money making huge profits.
“This prejudices employees and farmers,”said our trusted source.
“This is grossly unfair. We work hard and get paid in RTGS therefore expect prompt payments in this hyperinflationary environment,” said a disgruntled employee.Farmers are allegegly said to have been paid last in September 2023
GMB is the major grains buyer in the country and government has supported the entity through releasing funds for construction of silos but allegations of abuse of funds have trailed the state enterprise perennially.
A recent research conducted by an independent body established that GMB is one of the most corrupt quasi government enterprises.
The findings state that the prevalence of corruption in public institutions in Zimbabwe is mainly as a result of a lack of political will to address the challenges primarily because the political elite are mostly beneficiaries of the alleged corruption.
Kumbirai Kangai and Muchero’s cases easily come to mind.
“It was also established that politicisation is widespread in public institutions and corruption occurs in the following forms: abuse of power, fraud, bribery, nepotism, patronage, weak control and ghosting. In addition, the research shows that low remuneration, patronage appointments, greed, poor institutional governance and lack of political will to curb corruption in public institutions are the key causes,” read part of the research paper.
