CAC clears N1bn salary increment backlog

CAC clears N1bn salary increment backlog.

The Corporate Affairs Commission on Wednesday said it has paid the over N1bn salary increment arrears which was approved in 2013 by the Federal Government.

The Acting Registrar-General, CAC, Azuka Azinge, said this during a chat with journalists in Abuja.

The nine per cent salary increment arrears had been a source of industrial disputes over the years.

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The workers union of the commission had on several occasions shut business activities at the commission due to non-payment of the arrears.

Speaking on the development, Azinge said within the last two years that she presided over the affairs of the Commission, funds had been released for the payment of the arrears.

She explained that apart from the N1bn, the commission had also paid over N200m as pension arrears.

She said, “Within two years that I took over, we have settled 2013, nine per cent salary increment arrears that arose from a tripartite agreement between the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, CAC and the Union, which was a major cause of perennial and industrial unrest.

“We have also completed decentralization of all State Offices operations, to ensure that State Offices operate at par with Head Office, and to enable customers to pick up their certificates at any location of their choice.”

She said the Commission had achieved full closure of manual registration nationwide and deployment of online real time pre-registration services to all State offices through the Company Registration Portal.

This, she noted, would enable people to register their businesses from the comfort of their homes and offices within 24 hours.

On the allegations that she is currently earning the salary of a substantive Registrar-General, she said the claim was untrue.

She said based on the approval of the board at its 74th meeting, an acting allowance was approved for her based on the commission’s condition of service.

She said the post of acting Registrar General qualifies her as an officer of the Commission to earn acting allowance if she acts at a higher position for 30 or more days.

According to her, it is based on the belief that the acting RG is an officer of the Commission that the Board on the 8th and 9th February, 2019 considered and approved payment of acting allowance to her.

“The Board’s decision was informed by the fact that Rule 6. 06 mentioned did not provide details as to what constitutes acting allowance.

“As a matter of fact, the Board at its 74th meeting approved the acting allowances only, which excludes salary. Consequently, the acting RG still earns the salary of a Director.

“From the foregoing, it is therefore not true to say that the Board upgraded my status as my letter of appointment was explicit and crystal clear on the status of my appointment as acting Registrar-General.”

She explained that the Commission would continue to implement reforms that would support the government’s ease-of-doimg business initiative.