Zimbabwe's National Social Security Authority has increased monthly pension payments to US$40 from US$25 previously, retroactive to the beginning of the year, but critics said that with the increase pensioners would be hard put to live on that amount.
Adjusted payouts to retirees will be made next month.
Sources said the government approved the rise after pensioners complained they could not make ends meet on US$25 dollars a month.
Bulawayo pensioner Alick Nyathi said administrators of other pension funds should follow suit. “The current payouts cannot sustain anyone for a day and therefore these increases should be done as soon as possible in order to save suffering pensioners,” he said.
Labor expert Davies Ndumiso Sibanda said the Social Security Authority should seriously consider increasing pension payouts to US$150 a month.
"Though the NASSA increases are commendable, there is need for an upward review of these payouts to reasonable levels,” Sibanda said.