Bagbin’s claim that government may not be able to pay salaries in 3 months true – Pratt

The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has supported the claims by Alban Bagbin which suggests that government may not be able to even pay salaries in 3 months.

The Speaker of Parliament on Thursday, 24th February, 2022; informed MPs that, information available to him, was that if nothing drastic happens in the next three months, payment of salaries will be a hurdle for government.

He explained that the government may have difficulty meeting some financial obligations, including employee compensation.

“This 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 pay salaries… So we have to take leadership. We have to do a lot of things”, Alban Bagbin said.

Speaking to host of Atinka FM’s AM Drive Kaakyire Ofori Ayim, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., stated that government is currently struggling with the payment of salaries of public servants.

According to Mr. Pratt, what the Speaker of Parliament said is nothing but the truth.

“I have heard reports that government will not be able to pay workers for the next 3 months if measures are not put in place. That is the truth. As we speak, government is struggling to pay salaries,” Pratt added.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Finance Minister, Dr. John Kumah says the claims are false.

Dr. John Kumah explained that if government was able to pay workers during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will continue to do its best to honour its obligations to public workers.

“It is not true. Even when COVID-19 hit us hard, and we were struggling as a country, we still managed to pay all public workers and on time. In January this year, workers were paid on time, we are hopeful that of February will be paid on time”, he told press men.

Dr. John Kumah reiterated that he is optimistic that the economic situation will not deteriorate to the point where the government will not be able to pay workers.