Let’s ensure fair, competitive emolument for Article 71 office holders — PCE chair

 The Presidential Committee on Emoluments (PCE) is advocating an inclusive and open-minded dialogue to ensure fair and competitive emoluments and privileges for office holders under Article 71 of the 1992 Con­stitution.

Chairperson of PCE, Dr Janet Ampadu Fofie, said the inputs of all stakeholders, was thus, critical in ensuring that the emoluments and privileges for such public officers that would be forwarded to the president for consideration was reflective of the national interests.

This followed fierce resistance from labour unions and civil soci­ety organisations (CSOs), including Trade Union Congress (TUC), Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission and Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), regarding the review of emoluments and privi­leges of Article 71 office holders at a conference in Accra yesterday by the Presidential Committee on Emoluments aimed at gathering recommendations to the President for consideration.

They argue that the current eco­nomic situation in the country was not conducive for an adjustment to the current emoluments, benefits and privileges.

The public engagement forms part of the committee’s broader mandate to gather inputs and rec­ommendations from a wide range of stakeholders in determining the emoluments and privileges of Article 71 holders.

The event was attended by various stakeholders including institutions, labour unions, CSOs and beneficiaries of Article 71 provisions.

Although constrained by limited time, Prof. Fofie said the commit­tee was focused on developing a report that addresses all concerns and provides fair and competitive emoluments and privileges to the beneficiaries.

“Time constraints pose a sig­nificant challenge, as it limit our capacity to thoroughly address the issues at hand. That notwithstand­ing, the committee is focused on identifying actionable solutions rather than dwelling solely on the problems,” she added.

Dr Janet Ampadu Fofie em­phasised the importance of constructive engagement among stakeholders to generate innovative ideas and approaches in meeting the compensation needs of Article 71 holders.

“We need everyone to come on board with a constructive mindset, focusing on solutions rather than dwelling on challenges,” she urged.

The Committee, Prof. Fofie noted, was aiming to refine and deepen the public’s understanding of issues surrounding compensa­tion for public officers and ensure that all efforts serve the interests of Ghanaians.

Inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in August last year, she said it had been engaging with stakeholders to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive review process.

The former Head, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Nana Agyekum Dwamena, urged the stakeholders to pay attention to the economic challenges confronting the country while making contribu­tions and proposals as part of the review process.

 BY CLAUDE NYARKOADAMS