"Red Tape" delays allowances of service personnel

Allowances of National Service Personnel for January and February were on Tuesday said to have been delayed because of cumbersome process of compiling and crosschecking information with respective tertiary institutions.

The same process also had to be undertaken with the Ministry of Education to ascertain the veracity of information on the service personnel coupled with the bureaucratic status quo involved in accessing government funds.

A statement signed by Ahmed Hudeen Daud, National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) Co-ordinator and Mr Edward Amarteifio Dickson, Secretary, for concerned National Service Personnel (NSP) in Accra, said these were the explanations given at a meeting the representatives of the NUGS and NSP of Greater Accra Region (CNSPA) held with the Director of the National Service Scheme.

The meeting followed a five-point petition presented to the Director of the scheme.

The statement said NSS said there would not be any deductions from the service allowances.

It said the NSS was negotiating a waiver of bank charges on national service allowances.

The statement said perhaps the revival of the hitherto defunct NASPA would facilitate the task of the NSS to confront the issues of service persons since they were enormous.

On the subject of Free Medical Care, the NSS recognised the constitutionality of such a demand in line with the National Service Act 11(a).

It added, however, that service persons must follow laid down regulations in order to access the facility.