We won’t take a dime from our salaries – NDC MPs

National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) have rejected a suggestion by Information Minister Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah that MPs should consider a pay cut as a way of contributing to the development of Ghana.

Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah who is also Ofoase Ayirebi Lawmaker said he is willing to move a motion in Parliament to get MPs to take pay cuts.

“I think that the legislature should also look at a pay cut. The executive is looking to cut salaries by X percent, maybe we are Members of Parliament, and I will be happy to move a motion on that in parliament that they should also consider taking a pay cut to help to contribute to what we are seeking to do.

“That is what gives you the moral right to then ask anybody else in the economy to take a cut or whatever project, or whatever activities that are going to go on,” he said on the Good Evening Ghana program on Metro TV Tuesday, March 22.

This comes after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has reduced the salaries of all his appointees by up to 30 percent.

This is one of the measures introduced by the government to deal with the economic problems facing the country at the moment, the Presidency said.

The President assured the nation that the Minister of Finance Ken Ofori Atta will be announcing the measures that have been taken by the government to tackle the economic challenges facing the country at the moment.

Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said this during a meeting with Council of State members at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, March 22.

He said, “The Minister for Finance is going to have major engagement with the nation on Thursday where he is going to be in the position to layout specifically the measures that we have taken or we intend to take to correct or put the ship of sail better.”

Mr. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo further observed that the challenges that are facing Ghana are similar to those pertaining to many countries around the world.

He noted that it is no secret that Ghana is going through economic turbulence.

He said the government has the ability to find solutions to the challenges.

“It is no secret that our economy is going through difficult times. It is also no secret that we are not alone in that exercise. The many of the phenomena that we are facing are phenomena that are apparent in many other parts of the world but that doesn’t, therefore, mean that government is impotent in trying to find solutions,” the President said.

Members of the Council of State have also decided to reduce their monthly allowances by 20 percent until the end of the year.

This decision was taken due to the economic difficulties that the country is facing at the moment, Chairman of the Council, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, said.

Speaking during a meeting with the President at the Jubilee House in Accra on Tuesday, March 22, Nana Otuo Siriboe II said “Mr. President, over the past few weeks, the Council has been deliberating on the current economic conditions of the country and has been collecting views with the view to sharing with you as early as possible.

“As we were going through our routines, you and your cabinet were at a retreat over the same issues. Since yesterday, we have been fed with snippets of information regarding some of the decisions that you have made.

“We are particularly delighted to read that you and your cabinet have decided to reduce some of your emoluments and your allowances. Mr. President, in tandem with your decision we as Council of State had also decided that we will reduce our monthly allowances by 20 percent until the end of this year.”

Reacting to this development, Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe told TV3’s Komla Kluste in Parliament that “If the executive is talking about this then they should also look at the emoluments. What facilities do they have? As executives, they have more facilities than the legislators. We, for instance, provide a number of facilities for ourselves. We pay our drivers, we pay our secretariat, we buy our own fuel. So if the executive is cutting their salaries, are they removing those facilities they enjoy? If those facilities they enjoy will be there then the pay cut for the legislators will not be a fair deal for us.

Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem lawmaker, Samuel Attah Mills also said “What kind of pay cut? They should let their own people take pay cuts. Their people are on boards, do you know how much they are making from these boards?

“They haven’t given us common fund for over a year now. The pay cut thing is just a gimmick. If we are going to take a pay cut, what are they going to use the money for? We gave them millions of cedis to use for COVID-19, have they come to tell us what they used the money for? It is not about the pay cut, it is about irresponsibility on their part.

Tamale North MP, Murtala Mohammed said “I think that with all due respect, my good friend Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah should give us a break. Nobody is taking a dime from my salary. What we are asking this government to do is to reduce the size of the government.”