We won’t cook up allowances to make up for 50% salary donated – Presidency Assures

Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin has assured that no allowances would be cooked up to make up for Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Presidential Staffers who have decided to give out 50% of their salaries to support the fight against COVID-19.

All Ministers of State, the Chief of Staff at the Office of
the President, the deputy Chiefs of Staff, Deputy Ministers, Secretary to the
President, Secretary to the Cabinet, Presidential Staffers and Presidential
Aides at the Presidency on Monday decided to cut out fifty percent (50%) of
their salaries for April, May and June to be paid into the COVID-19 National
Trust Fund, a fund established by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for the fight against the Corona  Virus.

The fund is also meant to assist in the welfare of the needy
and the vulnerable.

The move is a follow up to a decision made by President Nana
Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahmudu Bawumia to dedicate 100%
of their three months salaries to the fund.

In an interview on Accra based Joy FM monitored by MyNewsGh.com, Director  of Communications at the Presidency Eugene Arhin said the gesture was voluntary and modest contribution to the resources mobilisation drive to raise funds for the purpose of fighting the global pandemic of COVID-19 which has hit several countries including Ghana.

He assured that no underhand initiatives would be taken in
the form of cooked allowances to make up for the half of the salaries to be
given out.

“Nobody was forced to contribute to this fund. We all
did this voluntarily and so we just have to manage for the next three months in
order to be able to sail through. I don’t think it should be that much of a
problem,” he said.

When asked for assurances on whether allowances would not
engineered to cover up for the appointees who are making the contributions, Mr
Arhin said “I can assure you and mark my words that nothing like that is
going to happen.”

Meanwhile the Controller and Accountant General has been notified
to effect the deductions into the COVID-19 National Trust Fund.

Source:MyNewsGh.com/Stephen Zoure/2020