Some Mahama appointees ’squandered’ their ’10% pay cut cash’- Auditor General

It is now coming out that some former government appointees withdrew from the 10 per cent cut policy undertaken by former president Mahama’s administration and has since taken their cash back.

In 2013, Mr.  Mahama and his ministers announced a voluntary 10 percent cut of their salaries to support health care delivery, especially in rural areas through the building of CHPS compounds.

Meanwhile, it has emerged at the Public Accounts Committee sitting that some former government appointees at a point resolved to opt out of the initiative without public announcement of same.

According to the Auditor General, an order from the then Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, instructed the Controller and Accountant General to cease deductions from the salaries of those former appointees and their monies refunded.

Those appointees were said to have later withdrew their contributions.

However speaking to Accra based Onua FM, Deputy Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Edward Kaale-Ewola Dery, who is an NDC MP for Lambussie Karni said he was unaware that some former ministers opted out of the initiative and took back their contributions.

Meanwhile he was quick to add that he would not be surprised if that happened, indicating that the initiate was voluntary, hence those individuals had the right to pull out from it at any point in time though the intended purpose of the cut was genuine.