Constitution Review Commission has recommended taking decisions on MP and ministerial remuneration away from the Parliamentary Emoluments Committee and placing them with a new independent Salaries and Benefits Commission.
The proposal follows public submissions raising concerns about the taxpayer cost of parliamentary and ministerial salaries, particularly following recent salary increases.
According to the report, submitters’ concerns over parliamentary costs also had to be balanced against demands for stronger constituency-based local representation, which could require a different parliamentary structure.
The Commission proposes replacing the existing Parliamentary Emoluments Committee with a single independent Salaries and Benefits Commission.
The new body would include actuarial and accounting experts as well as civil society representatives and would be chaired by the chairperson of the Public Service Commission.
The PSC would provide secretariat support.
Significantly, the proposed commission would determine independent pay scales not only for parliamentarians but for a wider range of senior State office holders.
These would include the President, Prime Minister, Members of Parliament, judges and permanent secretaries.
The Commission said bringing these remuneration decisions under one independent body was intended to provide greater consistency in how senior State office holders are paid.
The proposal remains a recommendation of the Constitution Review Commission and would require the necessary constitutional or legislative changes before taking effect.
