Government will commence the transition from the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission to a new Independent Emoluments Commission this year.
This reform is defining move under government’s reset agenda to overhaul how public sector pay is determined and managed.
President John Dramani Mahama made the announcement on Tuesday at a high-level dialogue with organised labour at the Jubilee House.
He said the time for managing the country’s broken remuneration system with small fixes had passed.
“It is my firm conviction that the time has come not for just incremental adjustments but for bold structural reforms in how public sector emoluments are determined and managed,” President Mahama declared.
According to him, the new commission will be the institutional answer to years of pay disparities and recurring labour disputes.
He however clarified that the reform was not designed to dismantle the progress made under the existing framework.
“The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission will serve as an institutional core to bring about this transformation,” he said, adding that the commission would be reinforced both financially and in terms of human resources to serve as the technical foundation of the new authority.
President Mahama said the Independent Emoluments Commission would introduce a transparent, rule-based, and evidence-driven system for setting public sector pay.
“Salaries and benefits will be guided by productivity, labour market realities, fiscal sustainability, and strategic national priorities,” he said,
He noted that the goal was to move away from fragmented and ad hoc pay decisions toward a system that was fair to workers, responsible to taxpayers, and sustainable for future generations.
He also outlined the long-term ambition behind the reform, describing a future in which the commission would be elevated into a fully-fledged constitutional authority.
“At that stage, the commission would be responsible for determining the emoluments of all public officeholders — from the president to the least paid watchman,” he said.
President Mahama assured organised labour that the transition would not be imposed from above.
“This reform will be implemented in a phased manner and will be carried out in full consultation with organised labour every step of the way,” he stressed.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
