Public sector salaries not under threat – Deputy Finance Minister assures

A Deputy Minister for Finance, John Kumah, has refuted claims that government may not be able to pay salaries of public workers in the next three months.

The MP for Ejisu insists that the government was able to pay salaries throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including the toughest times when a lockdown had to be imposed.

He was optimistic that public sector workers would continue to receive their remunerations in the coming months.

“It is not true. Even when the COVID-19 hit the country, and we were struggling as a country, we still managed to pay all public workers on time,” he said.

“In January this year, workers were paid on time. We are hopeful that February will also be paid on time, so the workers should not fear,” he assured the public in an interview with the GNA.

He was responding to comments by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, on public sector wages.

Mr Bagbin had suggested that the government might not be able to pay public workers in the next three months if critical decisions were not taken.

Consequently, he called on members of parliament to show leadership in difficult times to avert possible strain on the populace.

“Honourable members, the information at my disposal is not to discourage the committee from doing their work. If something is not done within the next three months, the government may not be able to even pay salaries.

“So we have to take leadership. We have to do a lot of things. With this, the House is accordingly adjourned to Friday,” he made this revelation on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, February 24, 2022.

According to Mr Kumah, the Speaker of Parliament made a genuine call to all MPs to support the government’s moves to shore up revenue.

“I think the Speaker made a very genuine call on all Members of Parliament to move Parliament beyond partisanship and support the government’s domestic revenue mobilization programmes, especially the E-levy, so that we do not create very difficult financial constraints for the government,” he said.