The Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu is appealing for sober minds to prevail on the issue of salary increases for Members of Parliament.
According to him, MPs are among the least paid public officials among the Article 71 public office holders in the country. The MPs are demanding increases in salaries and have made proposals for the presidential committee on emoluments to consider.
Parliament’s committee has settled on GHS 8,000 from the GHS 2,700 they earn monthly, but the presidential committee is yet to make its inputs.Even before the presidential committee decides how much MPs deserve as salaries, public sentiments against the increases are palpable.
The Minority Leader told Joy News’ Sammy Darko the sentiments must be well informed.“If we factor in everything perhaps we may even come to a determination that maybe a DCE perhaps earns more than an MP nobody questions it. Because in this country a DCE, a minister has two vehicles- a 4*4, a saloon, these are bought by the state they are serviced at the expense of the state; they are maintained at the expense of the state; they are fueled at the expense of the state; they are chauffeured at the expense of the state.”
He said when it comes to MPs they are made to take loans and pay for their own vehicles- which they use for public service- with the explanation that the number of MPs is too large for the economy to sustain.
Mr. Mensah Bonsu objected to statements that the MPs knew the conditions of service before they campaigned for their respective positions, saying it is natural for every employee to ask for improved conditions from employers.
He feared Parliament might not get the appropriate human resource if the conditions of service are not improved.
“We should be clear in our mind where we want to take our Parliament. Lets not forget about what somebody has said that if you pay pea nuts you get monkeys,” he remarked.“I am only pleading that before people speak to it, those people should be properly informed about what pertains outside,” he said.
He explained it is natural for people to feel a bit jealous about MPs but said people must be a bit realistic.