?132bn Pay Rise For Soldiers

The Armed Forces Council chaired by Vice President Aliu Mahama is currently discussing proposals for pay increases in the Ghana Armed Forces, which would require the release of ?132 billion as supplement to the budgetary allocation of the Armed Forces.

Sources close to the Armed Forces Council told ‘The Insight’ that if the new salaries for soldiers are approved, the total budgetary commitment of government to the Armed Forces would rise from ?318 billion to ?450 billion a year.

The salary review has become necessary because armed forces salaries have not been reviewed since 1999 inspite of the fact that financial regulations stipulate that they ought to be reviewed bi-annually.

Soldiers claim that currently, their allowances and salaries are much lower than their counterparts in some civilian positions in some subverted government organizations.

It is believed that if the proposals are accepted, some category of soldiers will receive as much as 300 per cent increase in their salaries and allowances.

Insiders say that the proposals have been submitted to the Ministry of Finance to consider the overall impact on the national economy.