2008 budget to include salary adjustment

WA, July 22, GNA- Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, out-going Minister of Public Sector Reforms, on Friday announced that the Government would include salary adjustment in the 2008 budget.

He said this would become possible if the National Job Analysis and Evaluation, gathering information from more than 1,500 jobs with about 8,000 employers in the public sector in the country, completes it work by the end of August this year.

Dr. Nduom disclosed these at a forum on Public Sector Reforms with emphasis on pay reforms on Friday at Wa, capital of the Upper West Region.

Workers from security agencies, ministries, departments and other public service institutions from the Region attended the event. Dr. Nduom said after the end of the exercise, workers earning more than the expected salary would remain where they were until their colleagues caught up with them while those who earned less than what they were entitled would have their salaries adjusted upwards. He also said all jobs would be re-graded based on comparability and government's ability to pay adding that the salary of all workers would continue to be improved until an appreciable salary level was attained. Dr. Nduom noted that the Ghana Universal Salary Structure was good but did not work because its implementation was not in conformity with what was in the document.

The out-going minister, a CPP Member of Parliament for Komenda, Edina, Ebirem Aguafo, who recently resigned from the Government, expressed his appreciation to President John Agyekum Kufuor for giving him the opportunity to serve in his administration. He pledged to assist his successor, especially in the area of pay reforms and urged public sector workers to support the Ministry in improving working conditions and salaries.

Mr. Christian Sottie, the Controller and Accountant-General, said according to projections in this year's budget, salaries and other salary-related expenses covered 73 per cent of total government expenditure leaving 27 per cent for services, investments and other expenditure.

He therefore, cautioned workers against unrealistic salary and wage demands that could affect the economy. Mr. Sottie said "missing names" from the pay vouchers of the Controller and Accountant-General was due to incorrect personal data supplied by employers.

He explained that delays in the payment of salaries were usually due to technical hitches experienced in the computerization process. The jobs were selected from more than 100 ministries, departments and agencies and public sector institutions that received funds from the Consolidated Fund.