NDC MP: Single Spine should be suspended

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Dade-Kotopon has called for the suspension of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

According to Hon. Nii Amasah Namoale, looking at the revenue Ghana is generating from taxes and other sources, it is unsustainable for continuation of the SSSS.

“…If you analyze the monies collected by the Ministry of Finance, it does not match up to our expenditure. This has led to government’s inability to pay up statutory funds. Government owes GETFund, government owes NHIS, and government also owes Common Fund. Who is the government? The government is the Ministry of Finance.

“…If you go to the Ministry of Finance they will tell you that there is no money because 70% of all the revenue goes into compensations, levies and other payments. So I will plead with government to put a freeze on the Single Spine Salary Structure, despite the fact that it would be difficult to do,” he pleaded.

The Law Maker explained that, he is not calling for a complete scraping, but suspension of the policy.

Speaking on NEAT FM, Hon. Namoale noted that this would afford the government enough space and time to collect money for a later continuation of the program.

He made this suggestion after a group of young foreign trained Ghanaian Medical Doctors stormed the offices of Neat FM at Abeka Junction in Accra with issues concerning non-payment of their salaries.

Narrating their ordeal, the young doctors bemoaned the fact that they have been living on a monthly allowance of Ghc150.00 for the past one year.

The doctors, numbering about 70, were inducted into service by the Ghana Medical and Dental Council on the 14th of December, 2012, but claim not to even have service identity cards to prove they are doctors.

However, addressing the issue, the MP for Dade-Kotopon stated that the issue of the doctors underline some of the reasons for which the SSSS must be halted for a few years.

Nonetheless, Hon. Namoale maintained that the suspension of the policy would not mean a decrease in the salaries of Ghanaian workers, but a halt in increments, so as to “accumulate cash for a few years”.