Concord Times (Freetown)

Sierra Leone: MPs Want Big Pay Rise

Ibrahim Tarawallie

21 November 2008


Members of parliament (MPs) yesterday called off parliamentary functions until the minister of finance and economic development agrees to increase their salaries.

According to Elizabeth Lavallie of the opposition SLPP, government was supposed to have increased their take home pay to US$4,200. She, however, blamed government's noncompliance on finance minister David Carew while she justified their recent protest action.

"Other government officials take attractive salaries, some even far more than we do," she lamented.

Meanwhile, the minister, who was summoned to parliament at the height of the complaint, entreated MPs that he was aware about a proposed salary increment but that there was no money at the moment.

"I am aware about the said increase in the salaries for parliamentarians. But I will not be able to approve it as it is now. This is because there is no money," he said.

Acting minority leader in parliament Hon. Emmanuel Tommy moved a motion asking that deliberations and all businesses in the house be suspended until the minister approves the increase in salaries.

The protest action came almost at the eve of the country's 2009 budget presentation which usually done by the finance minister.

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Author: obafemi2007
Fri Nov 21 21:35:40 2008

The parliamentarians in Sierra Leone like all politicians only look after themselves. There are quite a number of Govt offices in the country that have gone without salaries not to talk about salary increases for months. None of them is concerned about the ordinary civil servants. Only political appointees earn salaries in thousands of dollars per month. Refusing to meet because they are not given an increase is simply unacceptable to the ears of the people of Sierra Leone.

Author: jallohlaw
Sat Nov 22 02:31:03 2008

Sideshow: four ks for what? Bunkum. You did not earn two ks in the States or the UK, driving cabs and selling newspapers or .... You soupists fool only yourselves: what about the marginal 10 percenter?

FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS, AND COUNTING? What a joke in country numero zero (CNZ). All soupists are devoid of a conscience, which will issue when, not if, the soupist structure collapses. Soon.

Regards.

Author: foryohjonathan0000
Sat Nov 22 04:26:51 2008

I understand the situation; a sovereingt country like Sierra Leone need to support her politicians, but politicians should not just take the money and snuff it without doing the work for the people. Ordinary Sierra Leoneans should see that the get a good outcomes out of their taxes and other expenditurs put into the Government. The greedy ones in the Parliament who are not doing any thing good for the country need to be watch VERY CAREFULLY. Why? Because they are NOTHING but devils!!! Yes, Sierra Leone cares but she should CARE for ALL BORN SIERRA LEONEANS AND AFRICANS!!!

Your Brother in Allah and Christ

Author: brimabangoura
Sat Nov 22 06:34:59 2008

Really? I frankly cannot believe that our leaders would even think of shutting down government on the grounds that they are not getting their promised increments. If I must remind all the politicians in my country,public offices are not meant to be profit making enterprises. If you don't like the amount the job offers, it is ok to quit,and you don't have to labour yourself writing a resignation letter. How many months have teachers gone without pay? What is the GDP per capital again... $300 annually? I suggest that whoever came up with the idea of the increment be forced to resign his her position.

Author: jallohlaw
Sat Nov 22 12:16:27 2008

Dont' you know that soupists in soupist occupied Sierra Leone are in the game for THE money? Wake up and smell the coffee, dude!

Highest Regards.

Author: mayaski81
Tue Nov 25 03:33:04 2008

Victor-I have never got sick at heart like this kind of info about mother Sierra Leone. Are you telling me the paliamentarians for just idling up at Parliament are going to be or have being receiving a salary of $4000 or more DOLLARS/MONTH?...WHY? Am sure if these very politicians are sincere about their purpose of serving their constituents,they should just continue idling rather start exposing their greed nature for they are not doing anything meaningful which they guys at Garrison Park cannot do. If my position outlined is false,let them proof me wrong as am convince of being right. Please tell them let them be serious about their pettiness and do meaningful things for the people or else let performance takes precedence. Thank you

Author: jallohlaw
Wed Nov 26 01:32:39 2008

To be fair to the soupist parliamentarians, it must be admitted that a government exacts costs, expenditure.

Why, I ask should they work for nothing or pennies? And, before you respond, consider the market for the determination of the salaries of politicians, soupist or no.

Is there such a market, where prices, to ape bourgeois economic jargon, "clear"?

Cheers.

Author: imunu
Sat Nov 29 07:06:42 2008

The refusal to attend to the peoples business by members of parliament staging a stay-out-of-the-closet drama,out of frustration so to speak, simply, because they have been unsuccessful or at least,unable to secure a simple majority vote in the State Salaries Committee meetings, to increase the MP'S salaries, speaks demonstrably,to the calibre of the so-called reps. of the people,their lack of sympathy for the state of the country.Some of those folks marrauding or masquerading as MP'S are representatives of constituencies ZEROS.The first and second interests are themselves and linning up their pockets big time.The third interest is their families while,the people they purport to represent are last in their order of consideration.The people, living them no choice but, fight over the grumps.UNDER the state salaries, pensions, gratuities and other benefits act of 2003, the state salaries committee with the speaker of the house of parliament as the chairman and the minister of finance as a member et al,in determining assessment of salaries shall have regard to, among others, the state of the economy of the country and the ability of the gov't to pay such salaries and benefits assessed IT follows therefore,that the finance minister did not put his hands on deck for the MP'S SALARIES because of the inconvenient truth that the economy of the country do not allow it.The MP'S must think hard to pursue a more mature and dignify path to achieving their pay raise by continuing the work of the people for which they are elected, at the same time, pressing forward their demand as principled bargainers as opposed to being positional bargainers.The difference between the two is that the former is a win-win situation while the latter is a win or loss.


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