President Mahama supports proposal that independent body should determine Article 71 salaries
President John Dramani Mahama supports the establishment of an independent body to determine the conditions of service of Article 71 office holders and other public sector workers, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications and Presidential Spokesperson, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has said.
Speaking at a press briefing under the Accountability Series in Accra on Monday, June 15, 2026, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said Cabinet had begun considering recommendations contained in the Constitution Review Commission’s report, including proposals relating to the determination of emoluments.
He explained that President Mahama had not constituted a committee to review the emoluments and conditions of service of Article 71 office holders since assuming office and had continued to operate under the remuneration structure inherited from the previous administration.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Mahama has not set up a committee on the emoluments and working conditions of Article 71 office holders,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu said.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the Cabinet had spent the weekend discussing the Constitution Review Commission’s report and had yet to conclude its consideration of the recommendations.
“Indeed, over this weekend, the Cabinet held an extensive sitting on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to consider the Constitution Review Commission’s report. We’ve not finished, we’ll continue by the close of this month, and we will take a position on that,” he said.
He said the President had publicly expressed his preference for a different approach to determining salaries in the public sector.
“The President has said it publicly and indeed in the committee that looked into the Constitutional Amendments report that an independent Emoluments Committee should be set up to look at all salaries relating to all public and civil servants in Ghana so that their disparities are removed,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu said.
Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution governs the remuneration and conditions of service of specified public office holders, including the President, the Vice President, Members of Parliament, ministers, deputy ministers and members of the judiciary.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that President Mahama had not altered the salaries currently being paid to Article 71 office holders.
According to him, the remuneration structure presently in force was determined through the constitutional process before the change of government.
He said the President did not have the authority to revise those conditions of service outside the constitutional process.
Cabinet is expected to continue its consideration of the Constitution Review Commission’s report before taking a position on the recommendations.
