Government cautioned not to fund XTS Project with oil money

Koforidua, Nov. 12, GNA - Mr Kofi Asamoah, Secretary General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has cautioned Government not to use proceeds from the oil industry as collateral for the XTS Korea Housing Project. He said that even though Government was obliged to provide housing for security agencies and the entire country, the oil money could also be use= d to acquire other important needs of the people.

Mr. Asamoah was addressing executives of the Eastern Regional District Council of Labour, at a forum to explain the Union's position on the vari= ous bills in Parliament relating to the country's oil production, in Koforidu= a on Friday. He said TUC expected Government to commit a chunk of money that woul= d be accrued from the oil industry into improving the country's education a= nd health sectors.

Mr Asamoah said political expediency should not supersede the national interest since governments come and go but the nation is permanent. Mr Asamoah said the Petroleum Management Bill before Parliament provided=

for the prohibition of oil-backed loans but that did not reflect in the exploration and production bill. He said the TUC was aware of lobbying going on to remove the clause that=

prohibited oil-backed loans and that the labour front condemned such move= s. Mr Asamoah said the TUC was worried that attempts were being made to rem= ove the provision for Public Interest and Accountability Committee in the Petroleum Revenue Management Bill. He said that the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SS= SS) was a major problem confronting the labour front in recent times. Mr Asamoah said the delay in the implementation of the SSSS was as a res= ult of the attitude of some heads of institutions towards the programme. He explained that out of 96 institutions that were educated on the SSSS and were asked to submit inputs to the Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC= ), only 26 that complied had been placed on the structure.

Mr Asamoah appealed to all institutions under Government pay roll to collaborate with the FWSC to expedite action on the implementation of the=

scheme. He said the National Tripartite Committee would meet all heads of institutions under government pay roll next week to discuss the implementation of the scheme. Mr Asamoah appealed to workers to exercise restraint with the FWSC to av= oid any distortions in workers salary.