Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has dismissed claims that government has increased the salaries of District Chief Executives (DCEs) by 67 percent.
Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, he said such claims are false and against the laws of the country.
“It is not true that DCEs’ salaries have been increased by 67 percent,” he stated.
Mr. Opoku explained that no government is allowed to increase the salaries of DCEs on its own.
“Any government that increases the salary of DCEs has breached the laws of the country,” he said.
According to him, since the NDC returned to power, they have not increased the salaries of DCEs because the law does not permit it.
DCEs fall under Article 71 officeholders, and their emoluments are determined by a committee.
He noted that the 2011 committee report recommended that DCEs should be placed on “award point 55,” which meant their salaries were to increase by 10 percent every year.
“In 2016, when we left power, every DCE was taking 16,445 cedis,” he revealed.
He continued that when the NPP government took over, they were expected to continue the annual 10 percent increment but failed to do so for years.
He said it was only later that then Local Government Minister Dan Botwe raised concerns, after which the 10 percent increment was eventually, approved.
Mr. Opoku explained that when the NPP was about to leave office, they had to calculate the arrears and ex-gratia owed to DCEs.
“After the calculation, every DCE got over 32,000 cedis. That is what they used to pay them,” he said.
He added that because of that adjustment, any new DCE now starts work with the 32,000 cedis salary.
“That is why people think their salaries have been increased, but it is simply the arrears and the approved structure,” he clarified.
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