The government has clarified that President John Dramani Mahama has not set up any committee to review or determine the emoluments of Article 71 office holders, stressing that the current salaries and conditions of service were inherited from the previous administration.
Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu made the clarification on Monday, June 15, in response to public claims suggesting that salaries of political appointees at the Presidency had been increased under the current government.
He explained that under Ghana’s Constitution, the determination of emoluments for Article 71 office holders follows a clearly defined process involving the establishment of a committee whose recommendations must be approved by Parliament before implementation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, President Mahama has not set up any committee to determine the emoluments and working conditions of Article 71 office holders. The salaries and conditions of service being enjoyed today were determined by the previous government,” he stated.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu described reports of salary increases for political appointees at the Presidency as misleading, insisting that the current administration is operating strictly within an existing framework approved under the previous government.
He noted that successive administrations, including those of former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor, John Evans Atta Mills, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and President Mahama during his earlier tenure, have all followed the same constitutional process in setting the emoluments of Article 71 office holders.
The Spokesperson also revealed that the Presidency has published details of its current staffing structure, which comprises 225 political appointees and 575 civil and public servants.
He contrasted this with 2024 figures from the previous administration, which reportedly included 365 political appointees and 598 civil and public servants at the Presidency.
According to Mr. Kwakye Ofosu, the reduction in the number of political appointees reflects government efforts to streamline operations and cut public expenditure, in line with President Mahama’s commitment to running a leaner administration.
He further emphasised that no new emoluments committee has been established and that the existing salary structure remains unchanged.
Mr. Kwakye Ofosu explained that salary determination under the constitutional framework is guided by grading and classification systems aligned with established public service benchmarks, which remain in force until a new committee is formed and its recommendations approved by Parliament.
He urged the public to disregard what he described as false claims about salary increases for political office holders.
“It is therefore illogical and blatantly false for anyone, especially members of the opposition, to claim that President Mahama has increased the salaries and conditions of service of office holders when these were already determined by the previous administration,” he said.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency, and prudent management of public resources.