Garu MP Explains Why Ghana Cannot Afford A Bigger Salary Increase

Garu Member of Parliament Dr Thomas Anaba has urged public sector workers to consider Ghana’s economic circumstances when assessing the government’s 9% salary increase for 2027, warning that a substantially higher commitment to wages could place the country’s financial stability at risk.

Anaba, who serves on Parliament’s Employment and Labour Relations Committee, made the case during an appearance on Eyewitness News on Friday, October 30, 2026. He acknowledged that workers deserved better remuneration but argued that salary negotiations must take account of the resources available to the government.

He maintained that increasing wages beyond what the economy could sustain would not necessarily benefit employees, since the consequences of an economic downturn would eventually affect the same people the proposed increases were intended to support.

“What would we benefit from if we push all our money into salaries and crash the economy? It is the same workers and the same Ghanaians who are going to suffer the consequences,” he said.

The Garu MP also expressed confidence that organised labour understood the circumstances surrounding the negotiated 9% adjustment. He described workers as having shown maturity in recognising the economic considerations behind the agreement.

His defence comes amid criticism from the Minority in Parliament, which has characterised the proposed increase as an insult to public sector employees. The Minority argues that the adjustment does not adequately address the pressure workers face from rising living costs.

Anaba disagreed with that assessment and questioned why the opposition would describe the agreement in such terms when organised labour had accepted the negotiated arrangement. He suggested that the Minority’s comments could create the impression that workers were unable to assess the offer and its implications for themselves.

The MP further challenged comparisons between the 2027 proposal and the base pay adjustments of 30% in 2023 and 23% in 2024. He described those earlier increases as politically motivated and argued that they contributed to the economic difficulties Ghana experienced.

According to Anaba, the current administration needs sufficient room to consolidate economic stability rather than make wage commitments that could place additional pressure on public finances.

He believes that a more stable economy would eventually provide the government with better conditions to offer improved salary increases, while also supporting job creation and protecting workers’ long-term interests.

Source: https://x.com/channel1tvgha/status/2116440816465928359?s=46

Bestnews feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com