The $504,000 worth of gold watches meant as end-of-service awards for 72 retiring staff of the Bank of Ghana who have worked for 30 years and beyond is "fair" and "not an issue at all", labour expert Austin Gamey has said.
According to him, critics are fighting the award out of ignorance. "… We don't need to raise eyebrows, and those who are raising it, it's perhaps because of lack of knowledge," adding: "Bank of Ghana workers are in a special class – not distinguishing them in a way that ridicules other people, no, far from that – but the reality is that we are talking about a group of people who are assigned specific roles to play and they (BoG) need to retain certain loyalty with them.
"They are not being paid a certain special pay or professional allowance of a certain class that will warrant [criticism]. When you are talking about this kind of long service [vis-a-vis] these kinds of things, the gold watch is an end sign that is being given to them to retain the loyalty of the people to remain there instead of switching camp to another company that will require the services of such a person who would contribute to the economic and finance management system within the banking system in the Bank of Ghana, which we need, so, it cannot be across the board," Mr Gamey told Prince Minkah on Class91.3FM's Executive Breakfast Show on Thursday, 6 October.
The 72 watches (25 18-kt for ladies and 48 pieces for men) are being procured from Messrs A Swiss Watch Company. The central bank said in its procurement letter that: "BoG intends to use part of its 2016 budgetary allocation to fund the procurement of 25 units of 18 carat ladies’ gold watches and 48 units of gents' gold watches." The Tissot gold watches are to serve "as an award to deserving members of staff who have served with the Bank for 30 years or more and are due to retire compulsorily from the service of the Bank in the years 2016 and 2017".
Below is the BoG’s statement on the matter:
RE: BoG GOVERNOR BLOWS US$504,000 ON GOLD WATCHES
Reports casting slur on the implementation of the end-of-service benefits of some deserving members of staff of the Bank have come with grave concerns.
The Bank of Ghana wishes to state, among others, that:
1. End of service benefits, as part of the conditions of service for staff, is a longstanding tradition of the Bank, an obligation the Bank has always fulfilled to boost staff morale and commitment to the goals and ideals of the institution. The award scheme has been the convention of the Bank since the 1970s.
2. In the year 2012, the Bank decided to procure the gold watches once every two years (i.e. 2012/13 etc.) in order to control cost and make savings on foreign exchange.
3. Deserving members of staff should have served a minimum of 30 years and are due for statutory retirement from the Bank.
4. The procurement process for the period 2016/2017 commenced in January 2016, before the appointment of the current Governor.
5. No procurement rules were breached in presenting sole sourcing justification to the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) for approval.
6. PPA is an independent public institution whose work cannot be influenced by the Bank or any other institution.
7. At all times, the Bank abides by good governance principles that ensure a robust and effective internal control systems and processes.
Source: classfmonline.com
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What at all do these people at the BOG do that no class of people can do?If they so special why aren't we feeling the effects of their work on the economy? These are some of the things that fuel some of the ills in our society.
looking at what some parliamentarians who can not speak english get as end of service benefits , like those parliamentarians who say trees under schools, Gifty Klehem, sampson Ahi and others, BOG staff deverve gold bars and not gold watches
I HAVE NEVER LIKED THIS AUSTIN GAMEY MAN...SEE, HE IS ONE GUY WHO IS SO RIDICULOUS AND SCANDALOUS WHEN EXPRESSING OPINION ON ACTIONS BY HIS PARTY GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONS WHEN CLEARLY THE ACTIONS HAS THE TENDENCY OF SHORT CHANGING AND DOING IN THE GENERALITY OF GHANAIANS. IN FACT, HE HAS MADE IT IN LIFE AND SELFISHLY DOES'NT CARE A HOOT IF ANY GHANAIAN WORKER GROUP SUFFERS. WHAT A SHAMEFUL PERSONALITY!
AWW Ghana. What a country!This Junk yard dog thinks this is a non issue? that is typical Isn't it?Tell me What special work do staff of the BOG perform that is unique ?We must at least think of equity sometimes.Look at our soldiers and policemen .A soldier can be called upon to give his life in the service of his country at any time.A policeman on duty at a bank and indeed a the BOG will be the first to lose his life if these institutions are attacked. Yet would one say they are as well paid as staff of the BOG?A cleaner at the BOG at some point gets his own house. Can same be said for teachers who serve for 40 years?Check the remuneration packages of the staff of BOG and compare it to that of other staff in the teaching service,the police, army etc.I've heard people say it is a convention. To these people I say Conventions can be changed. Is giving hampers to civil servants not a convention? Yet it was changed by Atta Mills. becuase he felt it was not right considering our economic circumstance. Let's be serious in this country.People should not take things with abandon simply because they can.
Predictable! This man is simply an 1diot. A so called labour consultant who is always against labour and a mouthpiece for government. How could any sensible human being suggest that spending such outrageous amounts on gold watches for the affluent is fair in a country where humans drink from the same pond with cattle. John Mahama's own people at BOLe share dirty water with cattle, sheep and goats, for Christ sake! Gamey and his likes deserve to be shot or hanged. Such 1diocy!
Am I surprised at austin gamey? He is being fed by the ndc why would he find anything wrong with it. Shame on the so called experts on arbitration and employees' rights. Apuuuuuuuu!
OUR HARD WORKING FARMERS WHOSE TOIL WE SIT IN THE OFFICES TO ENJOY END UP AS PAUPERS.WHO PAYS THEM DURING THEIR OLD AGE.NOT EVEN SOCIAL SECURITY. WORKERS AFTER COLLECTING LARGE SUMS OF MONIES AS BENEFIFS ARE GIVING VERY EXPENSIVE GOLD WATCHES.WHAAAAAAT A CLASS DESCRIMINATION. TIME WILL TELL
MP's take end of service award Evey 4 years and some of you don't complain. What is, $ 7000 watch for serving for 30 years and beyond. Some of you journalists are not helping Ghana at all. If you are given $ 7000 after 30 years service will you be happy. Keep quiet about this matter
Na soo norrr!!! It is always that same story: "They deserve it". Very soon the parlimentarians,polticians and appointees will collect "JUICY" End of service benefits. Anoter will collect "fat" cheques for car loans, accommodation,"further out of Ghana educational allowances".All in the name of national insterst,security, stabilty,motivation. While the "undeserving masses work 30-40 years in Medical,para-medical ,teaching and other areas and retire with 20-40,000 cedis only. It is the match between "them and us". OR is it 'i scrath your back today, for mine' tommorrow? EYES CLOSE.!!! "BOGE" Swine.
Joy fm gave Doreen Andoh a brand new jeep for her long service to the company. Do you know the price of a branch new jeep cherokee??? Pls $7,000 which is equivalent to ghs28,000 cannot even buy a second-hand 2005 model toyota corolla; and you think it's too much for someone who has served for 30yrs in such an important institution. For those saying why watch, pls for people who are in a certain class, they value such things for than money. If you give him a fridge and he already has one what is he going to use it for?? Let's stop this attitude of unnecessarily attacking everything that involves money.