CAGD improves payroll delivery

The Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), has come out with successful initiatives that have greatly improved the payroll delivery services. Ms Grace Adzroe, Acting Controller and Accountant General, who made this known in Koforidua, said CAGD has launched four policy manuals, which include Scheme of Service, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy, Audit Charter and Payroll Manual, as guides to improve service delivery.

She said the CAGD has worked very hard to progressively employ ICT as a tool to improve service delivery for public servants as well as other stakeholders. Ms Adzroe, who was giving a keynote address at the 2013 Annual Conference of the CAGD, said the department has initiated steps to decentralise the printing of payroll reports including payment vouchers and pay-slips.

Currently printing is on-going in Tamale, Ho and Takoradi. “The printing sites in Takoradi will print reports for Western and Central Regions, that of Ho will serve the Volta and the Eastern Regions while the site in Tamale will serve the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions,” she explained.

Ms Adzroe indicated that the Kumasi site would be inaugurated before the end of the year and would print the payroll reports for the Ashanti and the Brong Ahafo Regions whereas the Treasury Headquarters would continue to print for the Greater Accra Region.

“The current arrangements constitute the first phase of the programme for the decentralisation of the printing of the payroll reports and it will ensure that delays in printing and delivery of reports are minimised so that necessary steps could be taken to rectify anomalies if any.”

Ms Adzroe said plans are far advanced for the establishment of printing sites for every region to enable authorised representatives of the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs)to delete all names of separated staff, otherwise known as ‘ghost names’. The District Payroll Clinics, which sought to assist employees and pensioners in resolving challenges on their salaries at locations closer to them, has also been made more effective through internet connectivity.

The manual process of bringing paper reports to the head office in Accra for resolution has become a thing of the past, she said. Ms Adzroe said through the introduction of the E-Pay Slips and the E-Payment vouchers, employees could now view their pay slips on their mobile phones or any computer with internet connectivity.

Heads of Department can also have access Payment Vouchers in the comfort of their offices through an electronic transmission system. Mr Ato Forson, Deputy Finance Minister urged staff of the CAGD to intensify their inspections in all the MMDAs to ensure that ghost names.

“The little money we save for the nation will go a long way to help the government to get every child into the classroom,” he said. Ms Helen Adjoa Ntoso, Eastern Regional Minister, acknowledged that the public sector wage bill is a great public concern and requires the cooperation of stakeholders to manage it.