It is unfair that section 71 civil servants earn more than public sector workers – Ablakwa

North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa called on the government to put in place immediate measures to address the high pay inequalities between section 71 office holders and civil servants.

Expressing his concerns in an interview with JoyNews Joseph Opoku Gakpo on Tuesday, Ablakwa noted that the average salary of a section 71 civil servant is much higher than the salary of civil service workers.

“We should also look at the disparities, close the gap. We shouldn’t end up in a situation where only a few people in a specialized category seem to take all the pay. “

The comment by the classified member of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee follows a report by Ntiamoah’s Emoluments Committee indicating that in 2016, ordinary public sector workers earned about 6% of the average monthly salary of civil servants in the article 71.

The report finds that the highest-paid civil servant that year earned 28% of an MP’s salary.

Reacting to this, Ablakwa said the situation is worrying and must be reversed as soon as possible.

For him, a pay cut as a solution to strong pay inequalities might be a better option.

“Let the independent committee determine if we don’t have enough resources as a country. And if some people had to take a pay cut why not, I wouldn’t mind at all.

“At the end of the day, that 6% is what other public sector workers who are really in the majority take when you compare with what we take, it’s most unfair. I mean it can’t adjust to your consciousness.

“I mean all the other jurisdictions they line up and make sure those who rule don’t earn unnecessarily and unreasonably high pay that leaves the people restless, leaves the people impoverished and leaves the justifiable people angry,” a- he declared.

Meanwhile, Ablakwa criticized the government for exceeding its approved budget for 2020 by 8.8 billion Ghanaian cedis.

Who holds a Section 71 office

Article 71 The holders of office include the president, the vice-president, the president of the Parliament, the chief judge and the judges of the Supreme Court.

The others are; Members of Parliament (MP), ministers of state, persons appointed by political parties and civil servants whose salaries are charged to the Consolidated Fund but enjoy special constitutional privileges.

A public sector worker

On the other hand, according to the Public Services Commission Act 1994 (Act 482), public sector workers are people who work in; public service ; Judicial service; Audit service; Education service; the prison administration; Parliamentary service; the Health Service; Statistical service; National Fire Service; Customs, excise and prevention service; Internal Revenue Service; Police service and immigration service among others.