Addressing members of the National Tripartite Committee (NTC) on Thursday, 20th February, President Mahama strongly criticised the previous administration, claiming it recklessly handled the economy and left it in a dire state, describing the country as a “crime scene.”
In a Facebook post responding to these remarks, Dr Amin Adam questioned the basis of Mahama’s claims, noting that the previous administration had implemented higher percentage increases in base pay compared to the newly agreed 10% increment under the current government.
How could an economy described as ‘criminally mishandled’ afford to increase base pay for public sector workers by 30% in 2023; 23% from January to June 2024; and 25% from July to December 2024, while still maintaining decent fiscal deficits?
What has changed between December 2024 and February 2025 that has suddenly plunged the economy into crisis, making it unable to afford a base pay adjustment above 10%?
His response comes amid an ongoing debate between the current and former administrations over the state of the economy. While officials from the previous government argue that the economy was well managed, the current NDC government insists it was severely mismanaged.
According to a communiqué issued after its meeting, the committee approved a 10% increase in the 2025 minimum wage, raising it from GH₵18.15 to GH₵19.97, effective 1st March 2025. Similarly, the government and Organised Labour have agreed to raise Base Pay on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) by 10% across the board from January to December 2025.