IPEC will ensure Equity and Sustainability in SOEs Compensation

Dr. George Smith-Graham, the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), has urged Chief Executives of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to back the government's initiative to create an independent, fair and sustainable compensation system for public sector employees. Dr. Smith-Graham made this appeal during the launch of a day-long engagement with SOE CEOs on the shift of FWSC to the Independent Public Emoluments Commission (IPEC).

The event, titled "Towards an Independent, Equitable & Sustainable Compensation System: Stakeholders' Perspectives on Ghana's Public Sector Pay Reforms," gathered SOE leaders, HR and finance executives, development partners and media representatives in Accra. Dr. Smith-Graham stressed that this transition is not merely a name change but a comprehensive overhaul of Ghana's public sector remuneration system.

"Our public sector pay system has long been fragmented, unfair and fiscally unsustainable. IPEC aims to rectify that," he stated. He further elaborated that the reform, a priority set by President John Dramani Mahama, will replace the disjointed system with a unified, transparent and productivity-oriented National Public Sector Emoluments Management System.

The new Commission will ensure equitable pay for equal work, align compensation across all public service entities, and tie remuneration to productivity and performance. Dr. Smith-Graham emphasized that SOEs play a crucial role in this reform due to their inherent issues of excessive pay disparities, overlapping negotiations and fiscal constraints.