The Minority in Parliament has called for an amendment of the Presidential Office Act, 1993, to cap the number of staffers at the office of the President.
According to the Minority Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, this will prevent the arbitrary increase in the number of workers at the presidency at the expense of the public purse.
The comments come at a time when there is a debate between the government and the minority in Parliament over whether the staff at the presidency has been increased or not.
The government debunked claims that it intends to increase the current number of staff at the Jubilee House from the 998 to 1,614.
It says it rather intends to reduce the number of staff of the government machinery from 1, 697 to 1,614.
But the Minority maintains there has been an increase and Mr. Ablakwa said “It is the height of insensitivity and indeed, an insult to Ghanaians.”
“The Minority in Parliament insists that this government is simply too large, wasteful and humungous. We demand therefore that government amends downwards and significantly the ceiling of staff at the office of government machinery,” the MP added.
Mr. Ablakwa also said a cap must be placed on the number of Ministers.
“My view is that let us amend the Presidential Office Act (693 of 1993) and place a cap [on the staffers] and also look at a cap in the constitution for the number of ministers. Let’s amend the constitution and place a ceiling on the number of ministers. In terms of the exact numbers, I leave it to the good people of Ghana. Let’s debate.”
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