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Prez Mahama calls for bold decentralization of Accountant-General’s Department to curb payroll fraud
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President John Mahama has called for bold steps to decentralize the Accountant-General’s Department, arguing that the current centralized system allows ghost names and other payroll irregularities to persist.
He made the remarks while addressing participants at the Annual Conference of the African Association of Accountants-General.
He explained that the Accountant-General currently manages the salaries of workers across the country, including teachers and nurses stationed in remote districts.
According to him, the long bureaucratic process involved in reporting absentee workers creates loopholes that allow some people to continue receiving salaries even when they are no longer at post.
President Mahama cited an example from the Auditor-General’s recent report, where a deceased government employee continued to receive a salary for 36 months, even though officials of the institution attended his funeral.
He said such cases demonstrate the urgent need to decentralize payroll administration.
He added that delays in reporting absenteeism from the district level to the regional office, then to the ministry, and finally to the Accountant-General, make it possible for salaries to keep going into the accounts of individuals who have deserted their posts.
These issues, he noted, are flagged every year by the Auditor-General as cases of financial loss to the state.
President Mahama argued that the bulk of public-sector workers, teachers and nurses, operate at the district level, so it makes sense to process their salaries closer to where they work.
He suggested establishing district treasuries to handle payroll, saying this would make it easier to confirm whether workers are truly at post.
He questioned the effectiveness of the current validation system, where workers are required to confirm their presence on the job every month.
He said validation often becomes a routine process without proper checks, allowing “ghost names” to reappear on the payroll even after attempts to remove them.
President Mahama stressed the need for a stronger, more accountable payroll structure, warning that without decisive action, the country will continue to lose money through avoidable irregularities.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Over 20 structures built within the 50-metre buffer zone of the Kpeshie Lagoon at the Laboma Beach Resort in the La Dade-Kotopon Municipality were on Sunday demolished by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC).
Buildings such as single-unit semi-detached under construction and completed chalets at the resort were pulled down while portions of a newly constructed perimeter wall were also demolished. Read More
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About 120 golfers from clubs across Ghana participated in an 18-hole competition, dubbed ‘MTN 30th Anniversary CEO Invitational Golf Tournament’ held at the Achimota Golf Club on Saturday.
At the end of the hectic day, Frederick Semenu Duvor won the Men’s Group A event with 39 points, while Julienne Afi claimed the Ladies’ Group A title with the same score.
Yaw Mireku Jnr. won the Men’s Group B with an impressive 45 points, while Kous Louanges Mang took the Ladies’ Group B title with 38 points.
Kofi Mangesi won Men’s Group C with 40 points while Elorm R. Akuash Bonney claimed the Ladies’ version with 42 points.
In the Seniors Division, Jan Vogel emerged winner of the men’s category with 39 gross, while Helen Appah topped the ladies’ category with 44 gross.
Addressing participants, the company’s Board Chairman, Mr Ishmael Yamson, urged the company to approach its next phase with the same resilience, discipline and determination that have defined its success over the past three decades.
He drew a striking parallel between the game of golf and MTN Ghana’s three-decade journey, describing both as long games in which success depends less on one spectacular moment than on consistency, patience, judgment and the ability to recover from setbacks.
He said, golf had taught him a lesson that extended far beyond the fairways, thus, a round cannot be won on the first hole.
In golfing terms, he said, MTN Ghana had encountered its share of regulatory bunkers, competitive hazards and unexpected storms that had forced the company to pause, reassess and change its approach.
But those challenges, he suggested, were part of the journey rather than reasons to abandon it.
By Andrew Nortey
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