News:
May 18, 2018
Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Kwame Agbodza, is urging President Nana Akufo-Addo to set the pace by, setting up a committee early enough to determine the salary of Article 71 office holders.
He noted that over the years, Presidents wait until the tail end of their four year mandate before setting up the committee and if this exercise is done ahead of time would help save a lot of problems.
According to the Adaklu legislator, the single spine salary negotiation is done way ahead of time and it helps address possible problems.
“Article 71 (1) of the Constitution provides: “The salaries and allowances payable, and the facilities and privileges available, to (a) The Speaker and Deputy Speakers and Members of Parliament; (b) The Chief Justice and the other Justices of the Superior Court of Judicature; (c) The Auditor-General, the Chairman and Deputy Chairmen of the Electoral Commission, Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice and his deputies, and the District Assemblies Common Fund Administrator; (d) The Chairman, Vice Chairman and the other members of (i) a National Council for Higher Education howsoever described: (ii) the Public Services Commission; (iii) the National Media Commission, (iv) the Lands Commission and (v) the National Commission for Civic Education, being expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund, shall be determined by the President on the recommendation of a committee of not more than five persons appointed by the President, acting in accordance with the advice of the Council of State.”
He was not happy with the way the Legislative and Executive arm of government is organised, in respect of emoluments and called for removal of bottlenecks; “it should be clear where MP Ministers should take their salaries from.”
“If MPs Ministers are paid from Parliament there is nothing wrong with that, in that case there is not transposition for errors”, he said.
We are all aware that the quantum of money advanced to MPS is still on the account, because no one has determined our actual salary, yet when that comes no Member of Parliament would be able to take more than we are due, he lamented.
By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com