Government has been asked to act swiftly on issues of terminal benefits and gratuities for the ex-Malawi Young Pioneers (MYP).

Member of Parliament for Lilongwe Msozi South Vitus Dzoole Mwale made the request in Parliament on Tuesday.

Mwale asked the Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development to provide progress on the issues amid the ongoing vigil by the officers in Lilongwe.

The group has been holding a sit in since July 2017, to force payment of their dues amounting to over K1 billion.

Mwale said there is need for Government to address the issue with urgency.

“Our Ex-MYP members are Civil Servants and they are supposed to get their dues,” Mwale explained.

In his response the Minister responsible, Goodall Gondwe said they are processing payments for ex MYP’s who were officers by the time the then president Kamuzu Banda signed a law that said all Ex-MYP’s would be treated as public officers.

“Only those who were MYP’s by May 2, 1994 are the only ones eligible to receive their terminal benefits and gratuities,” Gondwe said.