National Service Scheme is still relevant

Accra, Aug. 4, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports on Monday said the National Service Scheme (NSS) was still relevant and useful to the nation.

He said available figures indicated that in 2002 and 2003 the nation saved 60 billion cedis and approximately 90 billion cedis respectively in terms of cash remuneration or allowances to service personnel as which they would have been paid on the job market.

Mr Baah-Wiredu was speaking at the launch of the National Service week and the 30th anniversary celebration of the scheme in Accra. The celebration is under the theme: "thirty years of National Service in the Nation. Achievements and Prospects".

Mr Baah-Wiredu said records confirmed that there was a growing need for service personnel in both the public and private sectors, and more particularly in the rural communities where employed staffs in the civil and teaching services were reluctant to go.

He said the demand for service personnel increases at the rate of 40 percent annually, showing that the "programme was still relevant to Ghana's economy".

"The National Service Scheme has achieved a lot and it should remain so to propel the nation forward."

Mr Baah-Wiredu said the scheme has also played a major role in the nation's socio-economic development, particularly in education, health agriculture and in the small-scale industries.

However, he said, one of the critical issues affecting the scheme, though improved over the years, was that of the payment of allowances of service personnel, which has created some difficulties to both the government and the personnel.

The Minister said the situation would improve if service personnel take up their postings promptly so that accurate nominal rolls would reach the Ministries of Education and Finance and the Controller and Accountant General early.

He said that service personnel should sign their payment vouchers promptly for their allowances instead of attempting to accumulate them. Mr Baah-Wiredu said that financial sector bureaucracy ought to be minimized to enhance quick processing of service personnel payment vouchers so that the banks could also facilitate the fast clearance of Cheques.

He said the scheme would be adequately resourced for effective monitoring and follow-ups to enhance the operation of the scheme. Mr Baah-Wiredu advised service personnel who fraudulent attempt to forge signatures for double allowance to put a stop to the unacceptable behaviour or be ready face the full rigours of the law when caught. Mr Boniface Gambilla, Director of the NSS appealed to government to provide the scheme with the necessary logistics and assistance to enable it carry out its mandate effectively.

The National Service Scheme started in 1973 when the SMC passed Decree 208 establishing it.

Subsequently, Act 426 passed in 1980 made it mandatory for all able-bodied men and women of at least 18 years to render service to the nation.

The NSS has since been involved in the provision of essential services and supporting infrastructure development.