New Minimum Wage: Buhari appoints technical advisory committee [See list of members]

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.