The Business and Financial Times, B&FT newspaper says it has learnt that the Government of Ghana will begin the implementation of a new scheme, Cost of Living Allowance for civil servants this year. The scheme specifically targeted at civil workers, will involve the additional increase of 10 percent of the workers salary. It is to complement the minimum wage which has been increased from the current GHc1.90 to GHc2.25, an increase of 18.4 percent. In 2007, government spent more than GHc1.3 billion on personal emoluments of civil workers and has projected to spend about GHc1.5 billion by the end of this year. Officials of the Ministry of Manpower, Youth and Employment have explained Youth & Employment that the scheme is to make the Civil Service attractive to Ghanaians especially new graduates and to cushion civil workers against economic shocks. The objective is to achieve a “well-compensated, efficient and effective performing civil service to attract, retain and develop employees through training, career and performance management and succession planning,” they said. As a result, the sector Minister, Nana Akomea has issued directives to the Chief Directors of the Civil Service and the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to solicit for their inputs into the scheme. Currently, government remains the largest employer in the country engaging over 700,000 employees in all the MDAs. Government last year established the Public Sector Pay and Pension Reform as its priority to enhance the performance of workers as a result of the discrepancies in the salary structure of civil servants. The reform in the Civil Service involves the drawing up of a new comprehensive salary structure that will include the progressive monetization of non-cash benefits across board for public services supported by appropriate housing and long-term savings schemes, improved pensions and processing of pensions. Source: B&FT