President Muhammadu Buhari on
Wednesday appointed Bismarck Rewane as head of the newly inaugurated Technical
Advisory Committee on the implementation of a National Minimum Wage.
The president disclosed this
while inaugurating the committee before the commencement of the Federal
Executive Council meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa
Abuja.
He said that the inaugurated
technical committee will be chaired by an economist and financial expert, Mr.
Bismarck Rewane with other experienced economists and administrators from the
private sector working together with all the relevant officials of government.
He said, “This is why I
constituted the Tripartite Committee of Government, Organized Private Sector
and Labour to consider the National Minimum Wage and make recommendations to
Government for its upward review.
“That Committee has since
submitted its report with some recommendations. We are currently working on the
final steps that will lead to the submission of a National Minimum Wage
Amendment Bill to the National Assembly.
“I want to make it clear that
there is no question about whether the National Minimum Wage will be reviewed
upwards. I am committed to a review of the Minimum Wage.
“Also, it is important to explain
that even though the subject of a National Minimum Wage is in the Exclusive
Legislative List, we have been meeting with the State Governors because it is
imperative that the Federal Government carries the State Governments along in
determining any upward review of the minimum wage for workers.
“This is especially necessary
considering the prevailing public sector revenue challenges, which have made it
extremely difficult for some of the governments to pay workers as and when due.
“As you know we, at the Federal
level, have made adequate provision for the increase in the Minimum Wage in our
2019 Budget proposals which we submitted to the National Assembly. Therefore,
we will be able to meet the additional costs that will be incurred in moving up
all personnel who are currently earning below the new minimum wage.
“However, we anticipate that
after the new minimum wage has been passed into law we will be going into
negotiations for salary review for all the workers who are already earning
above the new minimum wage. It is therefore important that we are properly
prepared to meet these demands.
“We must, therefore, look at ways
of implementing these consequential wage adjustments in a manner that does not
have adverse effects on our national development plans, as laid out in the
Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). The ERGP sets appropriate targets for
levels of Capital Expenditure, Public Debt, Inflation, Employment, etc.
“It is absolutely important that
the implementation of a new minimum wage does not adversely affect these
targets, and thereby erode the envisaged gains for the workers.
“It is against this background
that I have set up a Technical Committee to advise Government on how best to
fund, in a sustained manner, the additional costs that will arise from the
implementation of the consequential increases in salaries and allowances for
workers currently earning above the new minimum wage,” he said.
He enumerated the terms of
reference for the committee to include develop, and advise government on how to
successfully bring about a smooth implementation of impending wage increases
and identify new revenue sources, and areas of existing expenditure from where
some savings could be made in order to fund the wage increases without
adversely impacting the nation’s development goals as set out in the Economic
Recovery and Growth Plan.
Others are to, “propose a work
plan and modalities for the implementation of the salary increases, any other
suggestions that will assist in the implementation of this, and future wage
increases.
“Given the urgency of this
exercise, the Committee is expected to complete its deliberations and submit
its report and recommendations within one month today.
“It is now my pleasure to
formally inaugurate the Technical Advisory Committee on the Implementation of
an Increase in the National Minimum Wage.”
Others in the committee are
former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Babatunde Fowler,
ex-FIRS boss, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, Dr Ayo Teriba, Chief Executive
Officer among other and Prof. Akpan Ekpo.
From the public sector are:
Chairman FIRS, Dr Babatunde Fowler, Director General of Budget Office, Ben
Akabueze, who is the secretary of the committee, representative of the Nigeria
Governors Forum (NGF), Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages
Commission, Richard Egbule, Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office of the
Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, Permanent Secretary
General Service Office, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Olusegun Adekunle, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Dr.
Mahmoud Isa-Dutse, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Budget and National
Planning, Olajide Odewale, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Labour Mrs. Ibukun
Odusote, and Solicitor General Of the Federation and Permanent Secretary
ministry of Justice Mr. Dayo Apata.
Others are Special Adviser to the
President on Economic Matters, office of the Vice President, Dr. Adeyemi
Dipeolu, Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Economic Policy Dr.
Joseph Nnanna, Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, Director
General Debt Management Officer, Ms. Patience Oniaga, Director General National
Institute of Social and Economic Research, Dr. Folarin Gbadebo-Smith,
Statistician General, National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Yemi Kale, Mrs. Aisha
Hamad, Mamman Garba and Tunde Lawal.
The committee has a month to
complete and submit its report.
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