The conference of Presiding Members of Ghana (CPMG) has called for rectification of the flat emolument for Assembly and Presiding Members (PMs) due to differences in duties.
According to CPMG, “we recommend that the work of PMs corresponds with high emolument.”
The resolution, among other ones, was presented after a three-day national conference of PMs aimed at promoting effective decentralisation and good local governance for sustainable national development.
The conference, held on the theme: ‘The Role of Presiding Members (PMs) in Contemporary Local Governance System in Ghana,’ was attended by all the PMs from the 216 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in Ghana.
The opening session was chaired by Dr Nii Quartey Djan (Member of Council of State), with the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Nana Agyei Boateng, as the keynote speaker.
The Deputy Minister urged PMs to learn the rules of the game to play their roles effectively as leaders of their respective local assemblies.
Hhe also tasked them to join their Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE’s) whenever they are touring communities and project sites in their jurisdictions.
The PMs called on the government to adequately resource and equip the office of PMs and Assembly members to ensure effective and efficient local governance system in Ghana.
Therefore, they called on the central Government to appreciate their contribution to the development of the country by giving them commensurate emoluments.
“The grading of Assembly members for the payment of ex-gratia on the basis of Metropolitan, Municipal and District classification is unfair and discriminatory,” they stated.
They also recommended that the status quo of flat rate must be revised to resolve the discrepancies and that the emoluments for Assembly members across the country must be sourced from the Consolidated Fund rather than internally-generated funds of the Assemblies, which are usually inadequate.
Logistics
The conference discussed the extreme difficulties Assembly members go through in carrying out their official duties across many scattered settlements in their electoral areas during both ‘normal’ and ‘odd’ hours. Their effectiveness has been severely hampered by lack of transport.
The PMs, thus, entreated NALAG executives and the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development to resolve all outstanding issues and immediately procure and distribute motor-cycles to all Assembly members across the country.
Tenure of office
The Conference suggested that the tenure of office of PMs must be coterminous with the tenure of Assemblies, which is four years. They recommended an amendment of the two year –periodic election of PMs to ensure smooth running of government business without interruption.
The Conference also wants the two-third majority threshold requirement for endorsement of MMDCE nominees and Presiding Members amended to simple majority.
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