Review public sector wages

Salary administration remains the bane of the economy, as more than 60 per cent of the country’s revenue is used in paying the salaries of public sector workers, leaving very little for development.

The consequence of this development is that after the payment of salaries, there is virtually nothing left for operational activities of the ministries, departments and  agencies (MDAs).

Various governments have tried to implement different policy initiatives to remove the volatilities in salary administration in the public sector. The Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) has tried, since 2010, to address the volatilities,  with very little success.

Currently, the pay structure of some key parastatals appears quiet outrageous, although it has been denied in certain circles.

Whatever it is, the fact that there is a category of workers called Article 71 office holders whose entitlements are outside the SSPP, and the fact that some other top officials in the public sector earn very high salaries mean that there is a problem with the administration of public sector wages.

It beats us that the government is unable to migrate all public sector workers, be they ministers of state, MPs, MMDCEs, Council of State members, judges, heads of constitutional bodies, etc., onto the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).

The Daily Graphic does not want to believe that it is a case of ‘four legs good, two legs bad’, or that some are more equal than others. In these our austere circumstances, the country’s burden, we believe, must be shared equally.

In the early days of the PNDC regime, one of its activists, B.B.D. Asamoah (now deceased), declared that no public official should put on a suit to the office. His reasoning was that the country’s burden must be shared by all. That sounded bizarre (no doubt it did not work), but it summed up his frustration with the inequalities in the system.

But at this stage of our economic development, all of us – the governors and the governed – must be prepared to sacrifice for a better tomorrow.

It is worrying that while our leaders go globe-trotting with bowl in hand looking, sometimes, for a million dollars to balance our budget, they buy Toyota Landcruiser V8 vehicles whose petrol consumption can provide the needs of majority of our people.

These needs sometimes include potable water, school buildings and health facilities.

Looking at the weak nature of our economy now, the Daily Graphic appeals to the government to prioritise its activities, eliminate profligate expenditure and concentrate on what is absolutely critical for our survival.

Since President Nana Akufo-Addo assumed the reins of government on January 7, 2017, there has been a “feeling good” aura in the country and the global goodwill is high.

We need to use the goodwill to mobilise resources to fix the ailing economy before it fizzles away.

Example, they say, is better than precept, for which reason the Daily Graphic calls on the President to show the way by avoiding all the privileges of the high office and rather show Ghanaians that the time to sacrifice is now, so that all Ghanaians will follow suit.

Also, there is the urgent need now for a total overhaul of the pay structure in the public sector to achieve equity.