GNP comments on 39 million cedis for MPs

PAY Mps AND MINISTERS 39 MILLION CEDIS A MONTH RE-JOINDER.

THE VIEW OF THE GHANA NATIONAL PARTY.

In his contribution to an open forum on how Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) can assist government to generate enough revenue for development, the Minority Leader in parliament Hon, Alban Bagbin suggested that Members of parliament (MPs) and Ministers of state should be paid a monthly salary of 39 million Cedis (US$4,200), If the state is to cut down on waste in public sector and save money for development.

The forum was part of the deliberations of a three-day National workshop on “Civic participation in the National Budget Process” organized by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) in collaboration with the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

At a press conference on July 1st 2006, the GHANA NATIONAL PARTY, awaiting registration certification from the Electoral Commission, condemned in strong terms, privileges enjoyed by Ministers, Parliamentarians, and all top Government officials as immoral and a waste on the national resource. This tough political stands of the Ghana National Party became a topic for discussions in the Ghanaian Electronic and Print media circles for weeks.

In the Ghana National Party Manifesto, which was made public on July 1st 2006, I reproduce an extract under THE WAY FORWARD.

THE WAY FORWARD

“In order to succeed in the Economic, Social, and Political transformation of Ghana, as we envision, we need to change the way Government does Business, to reflect on the aspirations of the people of Ghana, especially the poor, disadvantaged and marginalized in our country.

A (Ghana National Party) Government will therefore discontinue the colonial practice of Privileges to Government officials, Ministers, Parliamentarians, and all officials of state presently under that category. Although we do not have any empirical evidence to confirm this projection as yet, but we believe Government will spend over 70-80 Million Cedis per Minister a month for salary, benefits and privileges which is quite irresponsible, given the state of our Economy.”

Going by what the Honorable Minority Leader said, our suspicion that Government may spend over 70-80 million Cedis per one Minister and or top Government officials, was not therefore farfetched. Hon Alban Bagbin has proved the Ghana National Party right.

Mr. Bagbin argued that if Ministers and parliamentarians are paid the 39 million Cedis a month he is proposing, the Nation could reduce the total spending on public officials by about 40%. Ghana web general news of Saturday 14th October 2006 http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=112142

Honorable Bagbin told the Public Agenda reporter in an interview that, he has always advocated a system whereby public officials are not accommodated by the state. He touched on everything that the Ghana National Party vehemently opposes, and he went on calculating the 22.6 billion Cedis Government had to spend accommodating some 112, Parliamentarians in Hotels for 60 dollars a day for one year.

The question is, how long has Honorable Bagbin been in Government and in Parliament? And why has he not come out long ago to stop this selfishness and graft in our Government system since he has been with the NDC FOR ALL THESE years? Has he now made enough money and can forgo all those privileges?

How does Government expect productivity from the people, when a section of the population living in the same Country live in affluence and a section that form the majority and who unfortunately creates and produce the Nation’s wealth live in total distress and abject poverty?

Everybody from the President to all those who enjoy the nation’s wealth closes their eyes and ears to all the stinking and dammed political culture in our Government system, because it favors them. Of course, as I have always said, they know they will be recycled anyway so why should they worry about attacking a system they are all enjoying?

Now they realize a new wind is blowing from the Atlantic Ocean for change, and some of them want to capitalize on these for cheap political points, from a direction they had never dreamt on.

A comprehensive National salary structure is needed to satisfy all categories of professionals in the country to avoid the rampant strikes. A national salary and wages structure from the President to the Laborer that can be accommodated by our National income. (Ghana National Party Manifesto) If the Laborers, Teachers, Nurses, Medical Doctors, The Security Services, and the Farmers are sacrificing, then, it is just fair that the President and all those at the top also sacrifice to first create enough wealth, and build on to enjoy latter. It is after that, that we will see a peaceful strike-free society.

It is time to change the political direction of Ghana, and build a just and fair society, we can all be proud to call promising country. Ghana National Party is committed for that change, with sincere selfless and dedicated leadership.

Visit our web site www.natlparty.com and read more about US.