General News of Monday, 12 July 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-07-12Spouses of the president, vice only qualify for salaries when assigned to official duties – TUC
Rebecca Akufo-Addo (Right) and Samira Bawumia (Left)
•The TUC has said it does not support the recommendation of emoluments paid to the spouses of the president and vice president
•The Union said the move has no legal basis to be applicable
•It therefore urged the president to ensure any payments already made be refunded
The Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC) has reacted to the
Read full articlecontroversy surrounding recommendations made to Parliament to pay emoluments to the spouses of the President and the Vice President.
The Union in a statement sighted by GhanaWeb stressed it cannot support the payment of salaries even if the Ntiamoa-Baidu’s Committee recommended the move as it has no legal basis to be applicable.
“It is simply not right for anyone who has not been officially assigned duties and responsibilities in the public service to receive monthly salaries. The Committee probably sought to regularize the payment of allowances which were being paid already. But you cannot regularize the payment of allowances which has no legal basis,” the statement read in part.
It added, “the ongoing passionate debate indicates clearly that this issue is very important to Ghanaians. We would like to advise President Akufo-Addo to use all the powers accorded him by the Constitution of Ghana, first, to stop the payment of the salaries to his wife and the wife of the Vice President immediately, until they are officially assigned duties and responsibilities.”
The TUC, however, called on the president to ensure that any payments of salaries which have already been made to spouses be refunded immediately.
“When the time comes for spouses of presidents and vice presidents to be assigned official duties and responsibilities that will qualify them to receive salaries from tax payers’ money the executive arm of government should remember the spouses of the Speakers of Parliament (the heads of the legislative arm of government) and the spouses of Chief Justices (the heads of the judiciary arm of government). They can also perform some official duties,” the Union explained.
See the full statement below:
