Association advocates overhaul of GES salary administration

Tamale, Aug. 24, GNA - Mr Charles A. Adama, National Chairman of the Association of Educational Accountants (AEA), on Tuesday called for an overhaul of the entire salary administration of the Ghana Education Service (GES).

He said recent revelations at the Public Account Committee (PAC) of Parliament sitting on Pre-University Educational Institutions indicated that all was not well with the GES.

Mr Adam, who was speaking at the National Congress of the AEA in Tamale, said: “Issues raised by the PAC, which included stores irregularities, poor cash management, huge student over dues, uncompetitive purchases, unearned salaries, assert management deficiencies, and non-preparation of annual financial statements were not pleasant to the association”.

The conference, which was on the theme: “Enhancing Financial Management and Accountability in the Ghana Education Service-the Role of the Educational Accountant”, sought to afford participants the opportunity to improve their professional skills to be able to monitor work of their junior colleagues.

The five-day programme would also offer members of the Association the chance to study financial issues.

Mr Adams said the weakness associated with the present system of salary administration had enabled all manner of charlatans to manipulate the payroll documentation process and to hack into the consolidated fund for criminal and undeserved rewards.

He said to curb the canker, the AEA had suggested that educational units should be precluded from the preparation of salary inputs for teachers.

Mr Adams said the Association recommended that all salary inputs generated by the District Directorate of Education should be registered and the register kept under lock and key by District Accountants.

He said the AEA suggested that all salary inputs from the District and Regional Directorate of Education should be accompanied by internal audit report attesting to the propriety, need and accuracy of the charge.

Mr Adams said the Association also called on the Controller and Accountant-General to make available a copy of GES monthly report 11 each to all Regional Directors of Education in the country.

Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, Minister of Education, said clarity regarding standardized procedure to access, authorization and records of spending of funds was an important principle towards ensuring accountability, transparency and enhanced financial management practice.

She said: “Other codes necessary to guarantee good financial management practice include collaborative efforts with stakeholders in the educational sector in the various districts and regions.”

Mrs Iddrisu said the GES was faced with the problem of financial returns and that “The service is at the verge of losing it standing credibility amongst stakeholders”.

She called on the AEA to take advantage of the conference and develop effective strategies to address challenges confronting the GES to enable it to gain credibility.

Mrs Iddrisu entreated the Association to study the new Public Financial Management (PFM) reform, which aimed at effectively addressing challenges associated with budget management system.

She said the reform also sought to improve the accounting and reporting systems and the delivery of essential services.