By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, has increased the remuneration of Paramount, Regent Chiefs by one hundred and fifty percent.
This action by the Bio Led Government is in fulfilment of the pronouncement made by the Minister of Finance, Hon. Jacob Jusu Saffa, in the Government Budget and Statement of Economic and Financial Policies for the Financial Year 2020.
He announced an increment in the remuneration of all Paramount Chiefs, Regent Chiefs, Chiefdom Speaker, and other Chiefdom functionaries as well as Western Area Tribal Head effective April 2020.
According to the Minister of Finance, Government is aware of the critical role of Paramount Chiefs in supporting service delivery at the local level, noting that to this end Government is committed to restoring the dignity of Paramount Chiefs and Tribal Heads in the Western Area. He said as the first step in this direction, the Government will increase remuneration to Paramount Chiefs and 12 other chiefdom functionaries.
He said these policy actions are consistent with the Government’s strategy to improve Chiefdom Governance and strengthen Chiefdom Councils, adding that these actions are expected to boost the morale of Chiefdom Council functionaries and positively impact on service delivery at that level.
In fulfilment of that pronouncement, the Government through a press release from the Ministry of Finance announced that the Government has paid the sum of Le 4,612,500,000 to all Paramount Chiefs, Regent Chiefs, Chiefdom Speakers, and Western Area Tribal Headmen as remuneration for the second quarter (April, May, and June) of FY 2020.
According to the Press Release (PR) issued on Monday 10th August 2020, total remuneration for Paramount Chiefs/Regent Chiefs has increased from Le 1.1 billion per quarter to Le 2.94 billion per quarter or from Le 4.4 billion per annum to Le 11.8 billion per annum.
The PR continues that quarterly remuneration for Chiefdom Speakers has also increased Le 798 million per quarter to Le 1.7 billion per quarter or from Le 3.2 billion per annum to Le 6.8 billion annum, adding that total quarterly remuneration for Western Area Tribal Headmen has increased from Le 6.72 million per quarter to Le 48 million or from Le 26.88 million per annum to Le 192 million per annum.
The PR states that the implementation of the policy statement to other Chiefdom functionaries (Central Chiefdom Admin Clerks, Chiefdom Admin Clerks, Chiefdom Police Inspectors, Sergeants, Corporal, and Police Constables) is predicated upon the conduct of a Chiefdom Council Staff Audit and Biometric verification, which will be conducted by the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA).
It could be recalled that not too long ago the Government announced an increased remuneration of Mayors/Chairmen of Local Councils as well Core staff of Local Councils because according to the Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, the New Direction Government considers the role of the leadership at district and chiefdom level critical in the delivery of services that supports local economic development.
