Controller and Accountant-General explains suspension of civil servants salaries

The September salaries of more than 20,000 civil servants were suspended because the affected persons failed to supply the Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) with the requisite information to facilitate the payment of their salaries.

According to the Controller and Accountant General, Ms Grace F. Adzroe, “As part of ongoing measures to clean the payroll data, the salaries of some employees were suspended in September, due to lack of bank account numbers and financial clearance.”

She said the department, through the review of the payroll data, had observed that some employees did not have bank account numbers on the payroll system. 

The bank account numbers, she explained, were necessary to facilitate the crediting of employees’ salaries into their bank accounts, as well as prevent fraud on the payroll system. 

“The department for some time now has requested employees through circulars, radio announcements, press releases and notices on individual employees’ payslips to update their bank records, but only a few employees complied with the directives,” she noted. 

Financial clearance

Ms Adzroe explained that the government agencies and district assemblies were required by law to seek clearance from the Ministry of Finance for newly employed staff before placing their names on the payroll. 

“However, the department, through the validation of the payroll, observed that some employees were placed on the payroll without financial clearance from the Ministry of Finance,” Ms Adzroe stated.

She said such incidents were unfortunate, and further clarified that as a result of these anomalies, the Ministry of Finance directed the suspension of the payment of salaries to non-compliant civil servants.

She accordingly urged affected employees to contact their various heads of departments for the necessary steps to obtain the clearance from the Ministry of Finance to enable their names to be restored on the payroll. 

Verification

Additionally, employees with no bank account details have been asked to present themselves to the district office of the Auditor General for verification. 

“The list of staff verified by the Auditor General will be submitted to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department who will forward the details to the MDAs/MMDAs for the necessary updates to be made on the payroll,” the Controller and Accountant-General stated. 

Ms Adzroe gave an assurance that employees who comply with the directives by October 15, 2014, would be paid in October but “those who comply after the October 15, 2014 deadline would be paid later”.

She urged civil servants to call 0302-678801 or visit the CAGD website on www.cagd.gov.gh for more information.

She added that civil servants who complied with the directives earlier had had their September salaries credited to their accounts.