The letter suggests that parliament has not been keeping itself abreast of public sector salary levels in the country and its impact on the country’s economy generally, and is now calling on the Financial Secretary to make the information available to the Parliamentary Committee on Accountability and Transparency which is now concerned about the current “high public sector wage bill”.

Presenting the 2019 Budget to parliament last week, the Minister of Finance Jacob Jusu Saffa said: “the government’s wage bill is projected to increase to 2.40 trillion Leones, from 2.07 trillion Leones in 2017”.

The Finance Minister also said: “the increase of Le 400 billion to the wage bill will cater for the recruitment of 5000 teachers, 3000 health sector workers and 1000 police officers in 2019, and the salary of civil servants, teachers, police and military personnel in grades 1 to 6 will increase by 10% and those in grades 7 to 14 by 5%, starting January 2019”.

No mention was made of MPs salaries.

Meanwhile, President Bio is determined to put financial discipline, prudence and efficiency ahead of profligacy, by spending only what the country can afford through taxation.