Parliament to finalise determination of ex-gratia for Article 71 officeholders before dissolution

The 7th Parliament is racing against time to finalise the determination of the salaries and allowances payable and the facilities and privileges available to Article 71 officeholders.

Article 71 office holders include the President, the Vice-President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, and Justices of the Supreme Court.

The current Parliament is seeking to approve the ex gratia for this category of public office holders before the 8th Parliament begins official business next year.

When Parliament reconvened on Monday, December 14, 2020, the matter was on the agenda.

“In accordance with the 1992 Constitution, this House will be required to consider the approval of the Executive component of Article 71 officer holders report before the dissolution of the House,” Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye, told legislators on Monday.

The report the Speaker was referring to is one prepared by a five-member Committee put together by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in June this year to make recommendations in the ex gratia of Article 71 officeholders.

At the time the five-member committee was being inaugurated, President Akufo-Addo said there was the need for a national debate to regularise the payment of the ex gratia to Article 71 officeholders and urged the members to examine the practice in other jurisdictions, especially the American system, where the principles were established and automatically adjusted.

Ex gratia payments to former public office holders remain one of the controversial issues in Ghana.

There have been disagreements over the number of officials who must benefit from the ex gratia payments and whether there is a need for the payments at all.