Minority MPs reject 30% pay cut

Some members of the Minority Caucus has declined to join their colleagues in the Majority and members of the Executive to cut their remuneration by 30 percent in order to address economic challenges confronting the country.

Kwame Agbodza, Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee, told Joy News that the government’s suggestion of 30% pay cut is very deceptive.

He explained that the majority of NPP MPs “are on boards of state institutions so they draw other remuneration from these boards and other things whereas NDC MPs are not on any boards. So even if they let go of all their salaries, they will be able to find money elsewhere.”

The NDC MP noted, the reduction in salary as a measure to save the economy from collapse is not reasonable.

To him, the best approach is “for government to cut its coat according to its size, the huge expenses we do at the seat of government, we can surely reduce some and do some efficiency savings and some of the things we do.”

Agbodza said, Ken Ofori-Atta’s anticipated press conference in announcing decisions taken by the Akufo-Addo led government at the crunch cabinet retreat which ended on Sunday, March 20, will only be an announcement of measure created by him [Ofori-Atta] and his government.

“The Finance Minister will come and announce the painful measures we need to go through as a result of the mess he and his government have created; the overspending, needless and unaccountable expenditure, especially in 2020 with regards to Covid-19.”

He doubts if there will be any cushioning by the government, “Ghanaians are already paying that which could be used to cushion us as part of the petroleum price stabilization levy.

“There is not much he is going to do. We are in a real fix, so we should all brace ourselves,” Kwame Agbodza noted.

Also, South Dayi MP, Rockson Nelson Dafeamekpor, could not comprehend why a government that has not been able to determine what salary to pay him, would ask him to forgo part of a salary whose quantum he does not know.

“What I take as salary is actually the salary of the Member of Parliament for the 7th Parliament so what they are giving me is a way of on account until my conditions of service in the 8th Parliament is determined….I do not know how much I am earning, how do I agree to the percentage of reduction?” he quizzed.

“When a government that continues to fly in private jet ask you to reduce your salary, you will not agree,” he told JoyNews.