Mahama and ministers save Ghana GHC 2.5m in pay cuts

The 10% pay cut announced by former President John Mahama in his 2014, State of the Nation Address to parliament for him and his ministers has summed up to a total of GHC 2.5million at the end of December 2016.

The amount according to TV3 sources has been deposited in a special account recommended by the former president to be used for the construction of Community-based Health Planning and Services compounds or CHPS compounds.

The Controller and Accountant General’s Department who confirmed this to TV3 indicated that the 10% deducted from the salaries of the former president and 52 ministers and other government appointees were deducted over a period of three years. Head of payroll at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, George Baah in an interview with TV3 said “a monthly average of around GHC 52,000 accrued from the deductions.”

Mr. Baah however indicated that “as to the disbursement, who is in charge, whether it was indeed being used to finance the construction of those projects was totally out of my remit.” TV3 checks with the Ministry of Health indicated that the coordinator for the construction of the CHPS compound operated under the office of the ex-president.

The source indicated that part of the amount has been used for the construction of the CHPS compounds but could not give any figure.