Minimum wage still 16,000 cedis - Minister

Accra, May 5, GNA - Mr Joseph Kofi Adda, Outgoing Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment, on Friday said the minimum wage was still 16,000 cedis, representing an 18.5 per cent increase over the previous minimum wage of 13,500 cedis, which took effect from March 1, 2006.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency on salary adjustments for 2006, Mr Adda said the across board salary increase of 20 per cent on the 2005 Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS) levels had no bearing on the minimum wage.

The Outgoing Minister expressed worry over media reports that the Government had announced a 20 per cent increase in salaries across board, which raised the minimum wage from 16,000 cedis to 19,200 cedis. He explained that it was rather the Forum, comprising members of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT); Civil Servants Association (CSA) and Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG), who would enjoy the 20 per cent increment to take retrospective effective from January 1, 2006.

A release, which was earlier issued on the salary adjustment for 2006, said the January 2006 to April 2006 arrears for the members of the Forum would be paid in two equal instalments in June and July 2006.