Clarity demanded on Executive's 10% pay cut

NGO Integrated Social Development Centre (ISODEC) is calling for transparency concerning the amount accruing from the 10 per cent pay cut of government officials’ salary.

The centre made the call at a media dialogue on the 2016 budget in Accra.

Finance Minister Seth Terkper, while presenting the 2014 budget in November 2013, announced that members of the executive, including the President, had voluntarily decided to put aside 10 percent of their salary for the construction of more Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds across the country.

The initiative was met with mixed reaction from the public, with some hailing the move while political opponents described it as a public relations gimmick.

But government in 2014 announced that a total of GHc327,363.69 had accrued to the state since the voluntary 10 percent pay cut took effect. However, ISODEC believes the state can do more to earn the confidence of the citizenry that the pay cut is being enforced.

Speaking in an interview with Class News, policy analyst at ISODEC, Charlotte Afudego, said the Controller and Accountant General’s Department should be at the forefront of collecting and accounting for the money.

“We are really depending on the Accountant General’s Department, since they know the real details of salaries that they receive, so, if the Accountant General’s Department is able to relay this information, or give out the amount to the Ministry of Health (MOH), and the MOH is able to give to Ghana Health Service (GHS) for them to begin implementation of services, we can also begin our tracking from there” she said.

Mrs Afudego said from the time of implementation, the channel through which the funds are allocated is unknown.

“Where is the fund being sent? Who is being given the amount to start the project? And what is the number of CHPS compounds that are going to be financed with these funds?” she asked.

Mrs Afudego said it is a laudable initiative for government to commit 10 percent of appointees’ salaries to building CHPS compounds, yet the financial resources to back it has not been clearly outlined in the budget.