Tanzanian President John Magufuli has revealed that he earns a salary of about US$4,000 per month, making him one of the lowest paid African leaders.
The president made the revelations at a gathering in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, also saying that salaries of executives in state-owned companies had also been slashed.
Magufuli said some of the executives whose salaries were cut had been earning US$6,700 monthly, even more than what he, the president, earned.
Since taking office in November 2015, Magufuli has implemented cost-cutting measures across various sectors in his government, seeking to reduce government spending.
In this regard, the president last year banned unnecessary foreign trips by civil servants, saying anyone who would want to travel abroad for any purpose would have to get permission from his office.
Since taking office, Magufuli has made only four foreign trips, all to neighbouring states.
In 2015, the 57-year-old cancelled his country’s Independence Day celebrations to avoid usage of millions, instead ordering for a national clean-up exercise which he attended.
Magufuli’s salary is a fraction of what other African leaders pocket every month.
South Africa’s Jacob Zuma for instance earns about $20,000. Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta, after a pay cut effected in July, takes home $14,000 monthly.
Magufuli is renowned for his tough stances, particularly on governance and service delivery. He has been in the news many times for storming places to supervise service delivery, including an impromptu visit to the Julius Nyerere International Airport.
