Civil Servants in the country can now have all reason to smile following the government decision to raise their salaries from the rejected 24 percent average to 45 percent.

The Civil Servants Trade Union and Teachers Union of Malawi proposed a 50 percent salary hike which the government said it is too much as it will have a huge effect to the country’s economy.

According to the circular dated 2014 from the Human Resource Department disclosed that the government has nodded to a new salaries of civil servant effective October 1, 2014.

“I am pleased to inform you that Government has approved the revision of salaries for employees in the civil service with effect from 1st October 2014,” reads the memo signed by HRM Director Hilary Chimota.

According to the circular , the increments are in grades R, M, J, K and I.

According to the document , in the main civil service the salary range for Grade R is now K493, 296 to K501, 756 per annum from a salary range of K365, 400 to K371, 700 per annum.

Grade M will be getting a salary range of K660, 960 to 684,288 from the old salary range of K489, 600 to 506,880.

Those in grade K have had their salaries raised from the range of K720, 720 to K840, 720 to the salary range K987, 384 to K1, 151,784.

Civil servants in grade J will be getting salaries ranging from K1, 301,244 to K1, 525,584 from a salary range of K1, 256,328 to K1, 454,568.

Grade I civil servants will now be getting a salary range of K2,135,760 to K2,472,780 from the range K1,256,328 to K1,454,568 per annum.

According to the document, the salaries will be paid from a vote on personal emoluments in the government departments.

Meanwhile the document states that there will be no annual increment on 1st December 2014 as per tradition.

“The increment date for all civil servants remains 1stDecember. However, there shall be no annual increment on 1st December 2014,” it reads.