Members of President John Dramani Mahama’s Presidential Advisory Group on the Economy (PAGE) will serve without pay, the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has said.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Friday, January 16, Mr Kwakye Ofosu explained that members of the advisory body are not government employees and therefore do not receive remuneration for their services.
According to him, many members of the group are professionals already engaged in other careers, including academia and the private sector, and some are already on the public payroll.
At the moment, I am not aware of any remuneration. They are not permanent staff. Many of them are already involved in other work. Some are lecturers in universities and are already on the public payroll, so I am not aware of any additional compensation for them.” he said.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu noted that the advisory group will determine its own meeting schedules and operational arrangements, adding that its core responsibility is to closely monitor the economy and provide guidance to ensure government policies serve the best interests of Ghanaians.
“What is certain is that they will closely monitor the economy and ensure that the policies being implemented are in the best interest of the Ghanaian people,” Mr Kwakye Ofosu stated.
The PAGE is made up of prominent Ghanaian economists, academics and private sector leaders, including economist and businessman Kwame Pianim; former Governor of the Bank of Ghana and former Finance Minister Dr Kwabena Duffuor; industrialist Sir Samuel Esson Jonah; private sector leader Ishmael Yamson; and former Deputy Minister for Finance and Trade, Nana Oye Mansa Yeboaa.
Other members include former World Bank infrastructure specialist and agribusiness investor Ato Brown, former Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Henry A. Kofi Wampah, business leader Togbe Afede XIV, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Stock Exchange Abena Amoah, and University of Ghana professors Priscilla Twumasi Baffour and Patience Aseweh Abor.
Mr Kwakye Ofosu stressed that the members were appointed to offer their expertise in service to the nation rather than for financial gain.
According to the Presidency, the advisory group is expected to provide strategic advice on macroeconomic management, fiscal consolidation and debt sustainability, while promoting coordination between fiscal and monetary policies. Its mandate also includes guidance on industrial development, private sector growth, investment mobilisation and sustainable job creation.