I don’t take salary or per diem – Ofori-Atta
Finance Minister-designate Ken Ofori-Atta says he has never taken salaries since his assumption of office back in 2017. He made these comments during his vetting before the Appointments Committee in Parliament.
According to him, other entitlements and compensations from which he has not drawn as Minister includes per diem. “I do not take a salary, I do not take a per diem, so those are not the objectives that I come with,” he said on Thursday.
He was responding to a question posed by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa about his relationship with private firms working closely with many government departments and agencies. The MP was of the view that the situation fuels a certain narrative which insinuates that undue advantage could be given to his cronies.
But Mr Ofori-Atta explained that his commitment to improving the state of the country’s public sector keeps him going even without financial considerations. The Minister-designate believes the need to see a more vibrant public sector is an innate objective, a call he is not willing to sacrifice at the altar of financial gains.
“I suspect you know that the issue of public service is one that really has been with the family for a long time and I came into it with that aspect,” he added.
The delay in the Finance Minister-designate’s vetting was due to a trip to the United States of America for treatment following complications after he recovered from Covid-19 earlier.
In his stead, the 2021 Budget statement of government was presented by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu on March 12.
