MPs Demand Salary Increment

In the advent of increasing demands on lawmakers, Majority leader, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu has called for increase in salaries of Parliamentarians.

According to him improved salaries for Members of Parliament will ensure more accountability to the citizens which they represent.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu was speaking to a statement in commemoration of the Global Legislative Openness Week (GLOW) on the floor of Parliament.

He said the high standards the public is holding the institution to should be followed by better conditions of service for the legislators.

The leader said the legislators should be remunerated properly in order to make them more accountable to the public.

“An accountable parliament is one that has reporting procedures to inform constituents, it is one that provides standards and enforceable codes of conduct to the members.

“Mr. Speaker, a parliament that is accountable is one that; and before I state it, I should rather put it in capital letters, it is one that should provide adequate salaries to members of parliament to enable them to concentrate on the business of parliament”, he said.

Other attributes of an open Parliament as espoused by Member of Parliament for Suame, is resilience, transparency and accessibility.

He emphasized the need for a parliament that is representative to speak the mind of the people it represents and emphasized the need for Members of Parliament to peer review themselves and Parliament as an institution.

Article 71 office holders including Members of Parliament are said to be receiving salaries in the range GHC8,000 monthly  while ministers receive GH¢ 15,739.

By: Christian Kpesese/ thePublisher