A professor of law, Prof. Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, has urged a fundamental reform of Ghana’s public sector compensation system, describing it as fragmented, inequitable, and lacking coherence.
He delivered these remarks during a well-attended public lecture titled “A Regime for Public Sector Compensation – A Re-statement of the Concept,” on Thursday, 9th May 2025 at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah Auditorium.
Delivered by Prof. Bodzi-Simpson, the first and immediate past Vice Chancellor of Methodist University Ghana and former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), this public lecture was chaired by Prof. Bill Puplampu, Vice-Chancellor of Central University.
The lecture attracted a diverse and high-profile audience, including representatives from the Ministry of Finance, GIMPA, Chartered Institute of Bankers (Ghana), Institute of Internal Auditors, Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, and Mfantsipim Old Boys Association (MOBA), as well as academics, students, and civil servants.
In his lecture, Prof. Bondzi-Simpson, who also served as the founding Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Cape Coast, criticised the current pay structure in Ghana’s public sector as unjust and unsustainable. He cited research from 2016 by Dr. Mac-Anthony Cobblah, highlighting the stark disparities between public sector workers and politicians. “In 2016, the least paid public sector worker on the Single Spine earned just 1% of what a Member of Parliament took home each month,” he noted. “That worker would need more than seven years to earn what an MP makes in a single month.”
The professor emphasised that wage disparities between sectors such as education, security, and legal services have led to widespread dissatisfaction, low morale, and high attrition rates among public servants. “If a worker is underpaid, they either leave, moonlight, or remain demotivated. We are paying a price for that reality,” he warned.
Drawing on constitutional provisions and previous reform reports by experts such as Ewurama Addy, Edu-Buandoh, and Ampadu-Fofie, Prof. Bondzi-Simpson called for the establishment of an Independent Emoluments Commission. This body would ensure fair and transparent pay structures across all public sector institutions.
He proposed a new compensation regime that factors in qualifications, responsibilities, experience, and performance. His model includes a 20-point educational qualification scale and a 42-step experience grid to harmonise pay and reward merit.
Among his recommendations was the creation of an Independent Public Sector Compensation Authority with constitutional backing. This authority would oversee the evaluation, harmonisation, and administration of salaries across all public institutions, guided by principles of fairness, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.
“The time has come to de-politicise public sector pay,” he stated. “We must move away from a regime where certain institutions enjoy windfalls while others suffer, not based on merit but on their ability to agitate or influence political decisions.”
Attendees raised questions about the practicality and delays in implementing a fair public sector pay system. One participant asked, “How do we ensure that the jobs done are of equal value for equal pay?” Another queried, “Why has it been difficult to implement this for so long?” Prof. Bondzi-Simpson explained the complexity of job valuation frameworks and, switching to the local dialect, attributed the persistent delay to “asoɔdzen” to wit, stubbornness or unwillingness to change.
Referencing Article 296 of the Constitution, Prof. Bondzi-Simpson stressed the importance of public officials exercising discretionary powers fairly and transparently, particularly regarding remuneration.
He concluded with a passionate appeal to government, labour unions, civil society, academia, and the media to champion a fair compensation system for the public good.
“This is not merely a technical or budgetary issue,” he said. “It is a constitutional, ethical, and developmental imperative.”
The lecture inspired attendees to reflect deeply on the pressing need for a fair and transparent public sector pay system, grounded in principles of justice and accountability, to ensure long-term stability and development for Ghana.
Written by:
Abena Amoaba Afful is a final-year Communication Studies student at Central University with a Diploma in Journalism and Media Studies. She currently serves as Organizing Secretary of the Communication Students Association (COMSA).