Janet Ampadu Fofie
The Presidential Committee on Emoluments (PCE) for Article 71 Office Holders continues to engage with key stakeholders in order to arrive at a consensus on the subject.
The latest such engagement took place on Tuesday with guests drawn from the Trades Union Congress, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Ghana Medical Association and others.
It was generally agreed by the guests that the allowances and other privileges associated with Article 71 Office Holders should be scrapped because for them it is unfair.
Dr. Janet Ampadu-Fofie said that considering the concerns raised by the public about the subject, it is necessary that such engagements are held to have the inputs of all.
“The Committee truly believes that this is collective assignment for all of us as a people who care deeply about our country,” she said.
Through such engagements, she said appropriate decisions can be taken.
“We are counting on everyone to help examine this mater in a non-partisan, dispassionate, logical, fair and reasonable manner within the confines of the 1992 Constitution,” she added.
Earlier on Monday, the PCE met with a cross section of editors in Accra during which the media practitioners proffered suggestions regarding the subject.
The Chairperson recalled the terms of reference of the PCE at the time President Akufo-Addo constituted the five-member committee in accordance with Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana on August 31, 2023, the Terms of Reference of which include recommendations on the emoluments and other privileges for Article 71 Office Holders as specified under the constitution.
The Committee is also charged with examining any other relevant matters it deems appropriate to its work.
Continuing, she said the President charged the Committee to review the work of previous PCEs and to take a critical look at public concerns on the issues that have arisen from the implementation of the Article 71 Constitutional Provision and make appropriate recommendations.
According to her, “it is noteworthy here that the current emoluments for the Article 71 Office Holders was approved in 2020 and thus there has been no adjustments to the salaries, privileges and benefits of the Article 71 Office Holders since 2020.”
Previous committees set up on the subject were Greenstreet’s Committee established by President J. J. Rawlings in 1993 and 1998; Chinery-Hesse’s Committee set up by President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2004 and 2008; Yamson’s Committee set up by President John Evans Atta Mills to review the 2008 report submitted by Chinery-Hesse Committee in 2009; Ewurama Addy’s Committee set up by President John Evans Atta Mills in 2010; Edu-Buandoh’s Committee set up by President John Dramani Mahama in 2016; and Ntiamoa-Baidu’s Committee set up by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2020.
By A.R. Gomda