Auditor-General, other Article 71 officials’ salaries rose from ₵34k to ₵62k in four years – Kwaku Azar

Prominent legal scholar Kwaku Azar has raised concerns about fiscal justice. He highlighted a significant increase in salaries for heads of Independent Governance Bodies (IGBs) from 2020 to 2024.

On May 19, 2025, Azar shared a Facebook post. He revealed excerpts from a document approving salary increases for Article 71 officeholders. He called these raises “quietly awarded backdated raises.” This occurred while ordinary Ghanaians faced economic hardship and debt restructuring.

The document shows that the monthly salary for positions like the Auditor-General rose significantly. In 2020, it was ₵34,397. By December 2024, it increased to ₵62,202.53. This is an overall rise of about 81%.

Here’s the yearly breakdown:

- 2020: ₵34,397.00
- 2021: ₵35,772.88 (4% increase)
- 2022: ₵38,276.98 (7% increase)
- 2023: ₵49,760.08 (30% increase)
- 2024 (Jan–June): ₵61,204.89 (23% increase)
- 2024 (July–Dec): ₵62,202.53 (1.6% increase)

Azar compared this with macroeconomic indicators. The Ghana cedi depreciated by about 50–60%. Meanwhile, real wage growth for most Ghanaians remained stagnant or negative.

He stated that while citizens faced austerity measures, IGBs received backdated raises: “They get salary arrears; we get austerity.” He emphasized that these figures only reflect base salaries and do not include additional benefits or allowances.

Adding humor to his critique, Azar noted that the salary for 2025 will be set in 2029 due to retroactive logic: “Because article 71 emoluments move at the speed of … hindsight.”

He concluded his post with criticism aimed at the Emoluments Committee led by Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu: “The Fofie Committee has finished us. Da Yie!”

These revelations have sparked renewed debate online about Ghana’s wage structure and equity in public service during economic crises.