Zimbabwe has awarded civil servants a 100 per cent salary increment as part of efforts to improve their welfare, the government-owned daily The Herald reports.

However, the increase just about keeps pace with Zimbabwe’s high inflation, which stands at 92.3 per cent according to latest figures. This means the prices in shops are rising at almost the same rate as the salary hike.

The pay review includes an improved $250 Covid-19 allowance for all civil servants and a $80 monthly allowance for teachers, a statement from the finance ministry is quoted as saying.

The review takes effect from March 1, in the security sector, and April 1, for the rest of the civil service, a finance ministry official is quoted as saying.

A representative of the teachers' union interviewed by the newspaper said the review was "exciting" but said the increment of Covid-19 allowance was still low.

A nurses association representative said more talks were scheduled on Wednesday over the allowance.

In 2020, the Zimbabwean government said it could not afford to increase salaries during a doctors' strike that lasted more than four months, paralysing the country's healthcare sector.