Prez, Ministers, MPs salaries justified – Financial Consultant

A Financial Consultant, Roland Akorsa has waded into the controversial debate over the increment in the salaries of members of the executive and legislative arms of government.

The newly approved salaries have riled many individuals and civil society organizations which insist they are unjustifiable under the current economic conditions, prompting President John Mahama to ask for a review.

Roland Akorsa, speaking in an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show Tuesday, said “We cannot say that because we are a poor nation [we should not pay our officials well]”.

He explained that for these officials to efficiently discharge their duties, they have to be properly remunerated. He said parliamentarians for instance - by virtue of the nature of their work - have to keep two homes, travel across long distances to their constituencies among others. Therefore, Roland maintained, they should be given what they require to do their work.

He further stated that the biggest problem confronting the nation is corruption and proposed that to overcome that challenge there is the need to work towards a more progressive society where public servants are paid just as well as their colleagues in the private sector. This he said will ensure they do not take public actions for private gains.

The Financial Consultant insisted that paying workers well “is one way of making sure that society is released of the corruption that is very endemic in this part of the world”.

Asked whether the officials deserve the hikes in salaries in terms of productivity, Roland replied: “I don’t know, I haven’t seen any study so I cannot objectively make a statement over that.”

“…You may have to look at what you think they are being given and if it is fair enough, if it reflects the sort of commitments they have to make in order to be able to discharge the duties of their outfits. The figure itself is not something I worry too much about, what is it that they are supposed to do with it?”