The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, has denied allegations of government increasing District Chief Executives (DCEs) and Municipal Chief Executives (MCEs) salaries to 67%.
Hon. Opoku’s comments came amidst growing concerns about the cost of living in Ghana and the need for government officials to lead by example.
Speaking to the media, Hon. Opoku emphasized that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has not raised salaries for these positions since taking office.
He explained that DCEs and MCEs are captured under Article 71 of the constitution, and on 2011 a committee called Ewurama Committee was set up and upon the report, it was suggested that the MCEs and DCEs are to be pushed to award point 55 which every year their salaries should be increase by 10%.
He highlighted that before NDC left office in 2016, every DCE or MCE was received a salary of GH¢16,445, but the previous government refused to pay the 10% increment until the last government’s local government Minister, Hon. Dan Botwe, approved the 10% increment, increasing their salary and ex gratia from GH¢16,445 GH¢32,000.
The Minister urged for a 55% salary increase, implying a 10% annual increment, to address the compensation gap for these officials.
“We are pushing for a 55% increase, which translates to a 10% annual increment, to ensure that our DCEs and MCEs are fairly compensated for their work,” Hon. stated.
As Minister, Opoku has been vocal about agricultural development, focusing on initiatives like the Poultry Farm to the Table Programme and the Feed Ghana Programme to boost food production and reduce imports.
His stance on DCE and MCE salaries reflects the government’s commitment to transparency and fair compensation.
The proposed salary increase for DCEs and MCEs is expected to be discussed by the government and stakeholders in the coming weeks.
