Biometric Payroll Underway

Dr. Kwabena Duffuor - Minister of Finance & Economic Planning, Ghana. 

By William Yaw Owusu

Accra, Thursday August 9, 2012. 

The government has finally commenced the administration of a new payroll system under which only public servants whose biometric data have been taken would be paid salaries.

In 2010, the government, through the Controller & Accountant General’s Department (CAGD), decided to obtain the biometric information of all public servants as part of process of improving payroll management in Ghana but the gathering of data took effect in April 2012.

So far, biometric information on active workers in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Western and Volta Regions have been concluded.

Although, the public workers in the above-mentioned regions have been captured there are several complaints from public worker who are yet to be captured under the project in the regions.

A news release issued in Accra titled: ‘Payment of July 2012 Salaries to Public Servants on Controller & Accountant General’s Mechanised Payroll’ and signed by Enoch H. Cobbinah, Chief Director of the Ministry on behalf of the sector Minister, said the CAGD was using biometric data captured as at July 18 for July’s salary.

“The payroll biometric information gathered on public servants on the CAGD’s mechanised payroll as at July 18, 2012  in the above named six regions was used for the payment of salaries for July 2012 public servants on the mechanised payroll from the six regions.”

“We, however, wish to assure genuine public servants who may not have taken part in the biometric registration exercise, and therefore, have not received their salaries for July, that payment will be duly made to them.”

The release said “such public servants are, therefore, encouraged to quickly go to the nearest Regional Office of the Controller & Accountant General’s Department or to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Annex (FIC Building), Accra where they will be immediately registered and their payment quickly processed.”

It said after registration, public servant should submit the registration form that will be given to him/her by the registration officer to the Regional Director of the Controller & Accountant General’s Department or the Director in charge of Salaries at the Treasury Headquarters for immediate processing and issuing of cheque based on the June, 2012 net salary of the employee.

The release concluded that biometric registration for public servants in Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions has commenced and information captured would be used for payment of salaries for the month of August.

“Public servants in these four regions are being encouraged to present themselves for registration at venue as advertised in the media.”