Govt admits to 912 idle fishermen
The government has admitted that 912 beneficiaries under the Government Employment Redress Programme are not actively employed, following experts’ criticism.
The government has admitted that 912 beneficiaries under the Government Employment Redress Programme are not actively employed, following experts’ criticism.
This admission comes after the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) criticised the programme, saying the initiative has failed to deliver meaningful employment for fisheries workers affected by job losses linked to the Fishrot corruption scandal.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has confirmed that the programme currently has 2 255 beneficiaries of whom 1 343 are actively employed, while 912 are not.
Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, however, says: “While acknowledging that some implementation challenges have existed, the ministry maintains that the Government Employment Redress Programme (Gerp) achieved its primary purpose as an extraordinary government intervention.”
The ministry rejects the IPPR’s description of the programme as a governance failure, saying it was introduced to protect jobs, preserve livelihoods and provide relief to workers who lost their employment following the 2015 industrial strike and subsequent company closures.
As part of winding down the programme, Muyunda says the government would integrate workers into permanent employment where possible and provide once-off exit packages where sustainable employment cannot be secured.
