Ministers Already ‘Chopping’ New Fat Salaries?

…As President Mahama’s Order To Parliament Remains Dormant

Documents stumbled upon last week at both the Finance Ministry and the Controller and Accountant General’s office by The New Crusading GUIDE give a clear indication that the order given by President John Mahama for Parliament to review the salaries and emoluments of Article 71 office holders might have come a little too late.

According to the documents, some Ministers of State as well as some Deputy Ministers, have already been paid their October Salaries virtually the same as the new controversial salary structure.

Prior to October, 2012, Deputy Ministers (Non MPs), took home a net salary of GH¢3, 882.86, from a Gross of GH¢ 5,305. However, per the documents in our possession, the same Deputy Ministers last month had a net salary of around GH¢4,800 from a Gross of GH¢6,366.00.

The Cabinet Ministers have also seen their salaries ballooned from a Gross of GH¢5,996.00 as at last year September to GH¢7,195.00.

It is instructive to note that the President’s order has not taken effect since Parliament is yet to deliberate on his order.

Interestingly, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department has credited some Ministers as well as some Deputy Ministers  with a back pay which coincides with the recommendation by Parliament that salaries of the Executives must take retrospective effect from January 2009.

Some Deputy Ministers of Information and the Finance Ministry have been credited with a whooping amount of GH¢32,366.00 as their net salary for October. According to our sources, not all the Ministers were lucky to be credited with their back pay. “We have started paying them their new salaries but their back pay would come in batches”, the source revealed.

Some Cabinet Ministers were also credited with a back pay of GH¢36,838.30 from a new Gross of GH¢7, 195.00.

According to the original recommendations of the Professor Ewurama  Addy Committee Report which  was submitted to Parliament, the President, whose salary was used as the yardstick for the rest, was to take home GH¢ 12,000.00 with the Vice President receiving GH¢9,000.00. Cabinet Ministers (MP), were due GH¢8,400.00 with Deputy Ministers (Non MPs), taking GH¢ 6,000.00.

A statement signed by the Secretary to the President, J. K. Bebaako Mensah, last week stated that President Mahama had ordered the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning to withhold authorization for payment of any new emoluments for the executive but this paper could not independently check whether the salaries of the Ministers as prepared by the Controller had been paid.

All the Ministers we tried to verify from declined to comment. However, various categories of public officers whose salaries are also prepared by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, have all received their October salaries.