Payroll audit of Gt Accra public sector workers begins

The last leg of auditing of the payroll of public sector workers began in Accra yesterday, with a call on workers to avail themselves of the exercise or risk having their names deleted from the payroll.

Public sector workers have up to December 31, 2018, to comply with the directive.

An additional one week will be granted to enable those who could not take part in the exercise to do so.

Those found to have blots on their record, will be given an extended 30-day grace period to explain why their names should not be deleted from the payroll.

The Auditor-General, Mr Daniel Yao Domelevo, told journalists in Accra yesterday after launching the payroll audit exercise in the Greater Accra Region that the names of ineligible persons would then be deleted from the payroll after the 30-day period.

He explained that per the Audit Service Act, “it’s only the High Court that can order the addition of names after deletion.”

Public sector workers

Mr Domelevo said there were currently more than 600,000 people on the payroll.

He warned heads of departments to stop abusing the monthly validation of workers.

Mr Domelevo also cautioned audit staff to desist from accepting lunch and gifts from persons whom they audit because such acts were illegal per the Audit Service Act.

He later informed journalists that the exercise was ultimately aimed at removing fraudulent persons from the payroll.

Payroll audit

The exercise, which began in the Central Region in July 2018, has been completed in nine regions.

Announcing the beginning of the payroll audit in the Greater Accra Region yesterday, a Deputy Auditor-General, Mr George Winful, said the exercise in the nine regions had been successful.

He urged public sector workers to take the exercise seriously, adding that Accra was the last point.

Mr Winful said a team had been deployed across the region to enumerate workers.

He asked the workers to make themselves available with their letters of appointment or letter of last promotion, Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) biometric registration card, genuine academic certificate, recent payslip and other relevant documents, which have been listed on the website of the Audit Service.

He assured the public sector workers that the exercise lasted only a few minutes.

For his part, the Controller and Accountant General, Mr Eugene Asante Ofosuhene, urged heads of departments to cooperate with his outfit to clean the payroll.

Regional Minister

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Ishmael Ashitey, said incidents of payroll fraud, had made it necessary for the exercise to be conducted for all public sector workers to justify why they should remain on the payroll.

He said the exercise was in line with the government’s resolve to clean the payroll.

Mr Ashitey urged public sector workers to cooperate to make the exercise a success.

Writer’s email: mabel.baneseh@graphic.com.gh