The Ministry of Finance says government has not granted any 15 per cent increase in base pay to any public sector institution on the Single Spine Salary Structure.

The Ministry explains that the only adjustment on the Base Pay for the public service still remains the four per cent for the 2021 financial year, and that “no new agreement has been reached on the payment of premium.”

The Finance Ministry in a statement dated Tuesday, July 27, 2021, said its attention “has been drawn to media publications and agitations within the public domain in respect of this Ministry's letter dated 12th July, 2021 on the payment of fifteen percent (15%) interim premium to staff of the Civil and Local Government Services (CLOGSAG).”

Below is the statement

RE: PAYMENT OF PREMIUM TO STAFF OF THE CIVIL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES

Accra, 27th July, 2021 —The attention of government has been drawn to media publications and agitations within the public domain in respect of this Ministry's letter dated 12th July, 2021 on the payment of fifteen percent (15%) interim premium to staff of the Civil and Local Government Services (CLOGSAG).

2. These agitations, we believe have arisen because the public consider the above-mentioned approval to be a new agreement. The Ministry of Finance wishes to clarify that this is not a new agreement as it has been in existence since 2016 and fully implemented in 2020. Since the interim premium of 15% is on the base pay, it became necessary to do the relevant adjustments to reflect the negotiated 4% increase in the public sector base pay for the 2021 financial year.

3. Given the above, this Ministry as part of its communication to the Controller and Accountant-General's Department on implementation of the Agreement on the 2021 and 2022 Base Pay, authorized the payment of premium and its associated arrears to CLOGSAG for 2021 in line with the existing agreement.

4. We wish to reiterate that government has not granted any 15% increase in base pay to any public sector institution on the Single Spine Salary Structure and that the only adjustment on the Base Pay for the public service still remains the 4% for the 2021 financial year. Therefore no new agreement has been reached on the payment of premium.