Franklin Cudjoe speaking
IMANI, a policy think tank, has urged the next government under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to review the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
According to IMANI, the fundamental logic of Single Dpine is warped and therefore needs to be restructured.
Franklin Cudjoe, Founding President, IMANI in a statement released to set out five key priority areas for the next administration, said the previous government’s attempt to quadruple the salaries of public sector workers through the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) has been a drawback to strengthening the private sector.
He said the new government should consolidate salaries for all civil servants, stating that “the government bleeds profusely from allowances paid to middle to top level civil servants for many meetings, mostly needless ones.
“In 2016 alone, almost half of all funds set aside for wages and compensation, nearly GH¢14 billion, go into allowances.”
Touching on the areas where the new government must focus its attention in order to avoid the mistakes of the past, he said risk analysis must be carried out on all government projects; the pension sector must be truly reformed; optimal level of taxation must be determined and wasteful projects should be avoided.
This, according to Mr. Cudjoe, would help the new government develop robust management systems to ensure the socio-economic development of the country.
He said, “As government revenue rises to record levels due to oil and gas production, especially with the oncoming $7 billion ENI gas project, the new government will have more resources to devote to improving basic healthcare, build productive livelihoods through private-sector led job creation, pump water into neighborhoods and build roads.”
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government in 2014 attributed the economic downturn in the country to the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).
By Cephas Larbi
cephrok@yahoo.com