statcounter

Friday, July 4, 2014

Sierra Leone president, cabinet take salary cut for anti-Ebola fund

Friday, July 4, 2014
Freetown
Sierra Leone’s President Ernest Bai Koroma and his Vice-President and all ministers will forfeit part of their salary for July.
This will be a contribution to a basket fund to fight the deadly Ebola epidemic in the country, the government announced.
The President, his deputy and the cabinet will have 50 per cent of their pay sliced, while deputy ministers will contribute 25 per cent of their salaries to a scheme the government is using as an example to shore up support for the cause from within the public but also to demonstrate political commitment to the fight.
A statement from the Office of the President, signed by Secretary to Cabinet Dr Ernest Surrur, said the “voluntary decision” was taken at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
It comes a day after President Koroma’s first ever public pronouncement on the epidemic on Tuesday calling for a ‘national fight’ against the disease which is also ravaging Guinea, where it was first confirmed in West Africa back in February, and Liberia.
As of Wednesday, there were 67 deaths and 211 cases of Ebola, according to Ministry of Health Sanitation figures.  http://www.nation.co.ke/news/africa/Sierra-Leone-president-cabinet-take-salary-cut-for-Ebola-fund/-/1066/2372600/-/sac9pn/-/index.html