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The government is considering weaning-off state institutions identified as self-sufficient in resources, from the government payroll. It is, however, awaiting the report of the 16-member Post-forum Implementation Committee of the single spine pay policy (SSPP), to determine how soon it could proceed with the exercise aimed at cutting down on the huge public sector expenditure which seems to be hurting the economy. The Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Nii Armah Ashietey, said public universities, hospitals and other state institutions that had avenues to generate their own income must be weaned-off the public sector payroll so that resources that would have otherwise gone to them, would be channelled into developmental projects. The minister, who spoke to the Daily Graphic in Accra, said the many bottlenecks that had characterised the implementation of the SSPP prompted officials to set up the post implementation committee to help implement the recommendations of the pay policy�s sustainability. He said following the national forum on the policy�s sustainability held in August this year, the government identified that while some of the recommendations made could be implemented on a long-term basis, others such as weaning-off some self-sufficient state organisations could be done within the shortest possible time. Nii Ashietey further intimated that the government intended to, from January next year, engage organised labour in negotiating the base pay towards the preparation and approval of budget. That, he said, was meant to forestall incidents where grouping within the labour front took entrenched positions and made demands for premium. Pay Premium The minister, who was worried about the demand of pay premium by all manner of workers, indicated that public sector workers must agree for salary cut to save the economy. While admitting that the economy was undergoing some level of challenges, Nii Ashietey appealled to workers to be accommodating and co-orporate with the government towards finding a lasting solution to the current economic woes. Political Promises Nii Ashietey, on another hand, expressed regret at colleague politicians who, out of their way, made ambitious and unrealistic promises to workers instead of allowing state institutions mandated to carry out such activities. Such promises, he said, only came back to haunt not only politicians but the government as a whole when workers took entrenched positions and demanded accountability from the government. �Institutions such as the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), the Civil Service Council and the likes must be given adequate room to function�, Nii Ashietey said. The minister further challenged the Civil Service Council which employed civil servants to play a leading role to help resolve standoffs between the government and workers. �The council must come out with responsive practical advices and work programmes to identify what to do to forestall incidents of unnecessary strikes within the civil service�, Nii Ashietey pleaded.