As part of a comprehensive strategy aimed at eradicating fictitious employees from the public sector payroll, the Controller and Account General has issued a directive mandating all public sector employees to complete their enrollment for the Ghanacard.
To facilitate this initiative, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has designated a 10-day period exclusively for the registration of public sector personnel.
However, despite the substantial number of public sector workers without Ghanacards, the uptake of the service has been notably low just two days into the mandatory and cost-free biometric registration for those lacking the Ghanacard.
In alignment with the government’s commitment to cleansing its payroll of phantom designations, the National Identification Authority (NIA) has initiated a mandatory registration process for all public sector employees who do not possess the Ghanacard.
This significant endeavor commenced on Monday, August 28, 2023, and is set to run for a span of 10 days. The registration effort extends to first-time applicants aged 15 and above as well.
The impetus behind this special campaign follows a prior biometric audit performed collaboratively by the Controller and Accountant General Department and the NIA.
The audit revealed a concerning inconsistency among the data of 601,000 public sector workers cross-referenced with their Ghanacard registration.
Alarmingly, about 148,060 individuals exhibited data mismatches, indicating potential instances of fraudulent ghost-name entries or duplicative identities within the government’s payroll system.
Despite the substantial numbers indicative of the problem, the registration centers designated for individuals lacking the Ghanacard have experienced a lack of attendance nationwide.
Officials postulate that apprehension over potential exposure of ghost names and double identities, stemming from stringent measures instituted by the Controller and Accountant General Department for registration, might be discouraging many from participating in the process.
A registration supervisor in Accra confirmed the limited engagement, stating, “It is quite evident that individuals involved in ghost name schemes or carrying double identities may be reluctant to appear here due to the risk of exposure. This appears to be a driving factor behind the low turnout.”
The forthcoming registration of first-time applicants aged 15 and above, facilitated by the provision of 484,000 new blank cards to the NIA, is an integral part of this initiative.
Public sector workers are mandated to present their July payslips along with other requisite documentation such as birth certificates, valid Ghanaian passports, or certificates of citizenship to facilitate the registration process and secure issuance of a Ghanacard.
NIA officials and the Controller and Accountant General Department have elucidated that the payslip is of utmost importance as the information contained therein aligns with the data that will be incorporated into the Ghana Card.
This procedure ensures consistency and streamlined verification processes, while also exposing any instances of ghost names or dual identities within the payroll system.
Public sector employees who fail to partake in the Ghanacard registration within this stipulated window face the potential consequence of forfeiting their monthly salaries.
SOURCE: Coverghana.com.gh
