A member of the erstwhile Ewurama Addy Committee which streamlined emoluments for article 71 office holders has expressed surprise at the news that public office holders still take allowances.
[contextly_sidebar id=”dmdi4oUwKEcGh3EeIBIwQtG9YLdE5sm1″]According to Dr. Gheysika Agambila, the committee in its recommendations scrapped all allowances paid public office holders except rent and car allowance.
The Chronicle newspaper on Tuesday reported that Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs) were on a monthly basis taking home GHC 22,500 – allowances inclusive.
The numerous allowance packages according to the paper included; duty and special allowance, entertainment and wardrobe allowance.
In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, Dr. Agambila pointed out that the move if true, is not in accordance with the recommendations the committee agreed on.
He recalled that when the committee was reviewing the emoluments, “we contemplated that there will be no allowance.”
According to him, the “whole idea was to scrap all allowances” but they resolved to maintain the car and rent allowances.
Asked why the committee didn’t make public their recommendations, Dr. Agambila explained that “it is not a report that we can make public; it is only the President who can make it public.”
He also added that it is only the Executive arm of government which can confirm or deny the Chronicle publication.
What The Chronicle newspaper said
Duty and Special allowance – The basic salary of Minister, The Chronicle learnt is GHC 10,000 – but some other allowances ranging from duty to wardrobe allowances add up to make it GHC 22,000.
Minister, according to our source, earns a monthly Duty Allowance of GHC 5,000 and a Special Allowance of GHC 3,000 representing 50% and 30% of the basic salary.
Entertainment and wardrobe allowance – What is more surprising among the various allowances received by a Minister was that of Entertainment and Wardrobe allowance.
According to our source, a Minister receives GHC 3,500 a month presenting 35% of his or her basic salary, a figure far above the monthly salary of a senior civil servant.
Minister’s salary
Basic salary: GHC 10,000
Duty allowance: 50% of basic salary = GHC 5,000
Special allowance: 30% of basic salary = GHC 3,000
Entertainment allowance – 35% of basic salary = GHC 3,500
Wardrobe allowance – 10% of basic salary = GHC 1,000
Grand total = GHC 22,500
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @osamidan