Some Minority Members of Parliament have kicked against a proposal for a salary cut to support efforts aimed at stabilising the economy.
The executive and Council of State members have agreed to cut their salaries and allowances by 30% and 20%, respectively.
Reacting to the development, one Minority MP told Asaase Radio’s parliamentary correspondent Philip Asiawo that it is rather Majority MPs who must agree to the proposal.
“How much is the salary? Is it the GHC11,200 that they want to cut? You know, people must be truthful. As MPs, we have enormous pressure on us. There are a lot of constituency problems we are solving and that money is not enough for us.
“During President Mahama’s time, officials, MMDCEs [metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives] were able to contribute 10% of their salary towards building CHPS compounds in various communities. That was a laudable project.
“But this government – nothing of that, until we are in reverse gear in terms of the economy. Now they are asking Members of Parliament to cut their salary. Their ministers should cut their salary, the excessive extravagant lives, luxurious life they are living. They should cut their expenditure,” the MP said.
Listen to the Minority MPs in the attached audio below:
Council of State members cut allowances by 20%
Members of the Council of State have agreed to a 20% reduction in their monthly allowances for the next year to support efforts aimed at stabilising the economy.
The measure, the Council said, is to buttress the 30% monthly salary cut announced by the executive.
The Council members said the cut is their widow’s mite to buttress the overall effort to achieve economic recovery being made by the government.
The chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, announced the decision on Tuesday in his opening statement at a meeting with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at Jubilee House in Accra. He expressed the hope that what he described as a small gesture will be emulated by other organs of state.
President Akufo-Addo expressed his delight at the Council’s decision “to join the effort that we all have to make to downsize the expenditure size of our public finances”.
He added, “We intend to do it and I’m grateful for the act of solidarity on the part of the Council for doing the same thing.”
Fred Dzakpata
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