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.<\/p>\n
[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.<\/p>\n
The Chronicle newspaper on Tuesday reported that Ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs) were on a monthly basis taking home GHC 22,500 \u2013 allowances inclusive.<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The numerous allowance packages according to the paper included; duty and special allowance, entertainment and wardrobe allowance.<\/p>\n In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show<\/strong> on Tuesday, Dr. Agambila pointed out that the move if true, is not in accordance with the recommendations the committee agreed on.<\/p>\n He recalled that when the committee was reviewing the emoluments, \u201cwe contemplated that there will be no allowance.\u201d<\/p>\n According to him, the \u201cwhole idea was to scrap all allowances\u201d but they resolved to maintain the car and rent allowances.<\/p>\n Asked why the committee didn\u2019t make public their recommendations, Dr. Agambila explained that \u201cit is not a report that we can make public; it is only the President who can make it public.\u201d<\/p>\n He also added that it is only the Executive arm of government which can confirm or deny the Chronicle publication.<\/p>\n What The Chronicle newspaper said<\/strong><\/p>\n Duty and Special allowance<\/em> – The basic salary of Minister, The Chronicle learnt is GHC 10,000 \u2013 but some other allowances ranging from duty to wardrobe allowances add up to make it GHC 22,000.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Entertainment and wardrobe allowance<\/em> – What is more surprising among the various allowances received by a Minister was that of Entertainment and Wardrobe allowance.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Minister\u2019s salary <\/strong><\/p>\n Basic salary: GHC 10,000<\/p>\n Duty allowance: 50% of basic salary = GHC 5,000<\/p>\n Special allowance: 30% of basic salary = GHC 3,000<\/p>\n Entertainment allowance \u2013 35% of basic salary = GHC 3,500<\/p>\n Wardrobe allowance \u2013 10% of basic salary = GHC 1,000<\/p>\n Grand total = GHC 22,500<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By: Efua Idan Osam\/citifmonline.com\/Ghana
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