Parliament Goes Into Closed-Door Session To Discuss Ex Gratia

On Thursday, Parliament began a closed-door session to deliberate on the ex gratia payments for Article 71 officeholders, including the executive and the judiciary.

This development is part of a long-standing constitutional arrangements governing salaries, allowances, and benefits for specific public office holders under Ghana’s 1992 Constitution.

Article 71 officeholders include high-ranking officials such as the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of Parliament, Deputy Speakers, and Members of Parliament (MPs).

Also included are the Chief Justice and Justices of the Superior Courts, the Auditor-General, and other independent constitutional officers, as well as Ministers, Deputy Ministers, and members of the Council of State.

The emoluments for these officeholders are determined by a committee appointed by the President in consultation with the Council of State.

The committee’s recommendations are then approved by Parliament for the executive and the judiciary, while the executive approves the benefits for MPs, the Speaker, and Deputy Speakers.

Critics have long argued that this reciprocal arrangement lacks accountability and transparency, with both arms of government favouring each other.

The system has been criticized as a “scratch my back, I scratch your back” approach, where the executive and legislative branches benefit at the expense of ordinary public sector workers and the nation’s economic challenges.

The debate over the ex gratia payments has sparked calls for constitutional reforms to review the emolument system and align it with the country’s fiscal realities.

However, Incoming President John Mahama has promised to scrap the Article 71 ex gratia arrangement, a move that has been welcomed by many Ghanaians.