By Binta Jaiteh
The National Assembly Members on Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) discovered 34% increment on the basic salaries at the Office of the Ombudsman from 2022 to 2023.
The Office of the Ombudsman appeared before NA’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) on Thursday over the budget bilateral.
During the discussion on the budget bilateral of the Ombudsman Kebba Lang Fofana member of the committee said from the figures I have there is an increment on the basic salaries from 2022 to 2023, by three billion two hundred and eighty one thousand, seven hundred and three which stands at 34.40%.“
The increment of the basic salary was effected between 2022 to 2023” Fofana said The lawmaker argued that, assembly didn’t create this figures and it is very clear adding that we need to be careful with figures because they don’t lie. They are here for anybody to input it and are sure it will indicate 34% increment on the basic salary between 2022 to 2023.“
My worry is between 2023 to 2024 also they are proposing for another 32% increment, unless and until the figures are coming from somewhere else’’, he expressed.Meanwhile Ebrima J Sawo, head of Finance Office of the ombudsman questioned Fofana but the member stopped him immediately informing him that, you should address the evidence not me because the matter is not me against you.
Fofana asked the accountant to provide their data adding that now, I will take you to a professional level, give us your data and we will give it to our budget office to analyze. He furiously said.
The accountant Sawo denied that, the office didn’t increase the salaries according to him he was baffled with the huge differences. “I have been in the office since and I can assure you there was no salary increment other than the annual increment of salaries’’, he denied. The Nominated member Kebba explained that , Under Strategy and Admin in 2021, the basic salary, is four million four hundred and twenty three hundred and three, against two million four hundred and sixty six thousand, one-twenty seven in 2022 meaning the basic salary has increased by 1.9.
In 2022 under strategy and admin is seven hundred and twenty thousand six hundred and eighty two which gives a reduction of 2.7. Between the two years there was net reduction of 4.7.
According to him , decentralization in 2021 the basic salary is four point four billion, seven hundred and forty thousand, one hundred and twenty five against 2022 which is one million two hundred thousand that gives you a net reduction of three point five billion.
Looking at the allowances in 2021, it was three million one hundred and eighty six thousand and two but in 2022 that increased to three million six hundred and forty eight thousand three hundred and eighty one that gives you an increment on the allowances.He added that cumulatively between 2021 to 2022 their salary shifted by four hundred and fifty thousand six hundred and thirty five.
Honorable Fofana explained that between 2022 to 2023,the basic salary for strategy and admin was two point four million that increased to four point five were an increment of two million and fifty eight thousand.“
The allowances in 2022, was seven hundred and twenty one thousand six hundred and eighty that increased to one million three hundred and fifty five thousand nine fifty which means between the two years the salaries and allowances combined under strategy and admin there is a net increment of 2.6 million.
Therefore, the committee exhausting the review of the ombudsman office budget and FPAC proposed to the office to provide their payroll for the period under review 2021 to 2023, for it to be given to the assembly’s budget office to lay the analysis.