The General Secretary at Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mr Thomas Musah has expressed disappointment over the decision by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to stop paying workers who do not have their Ghana cards by December 1, 2021.
According to him, there was no form of communication between the Department and the employers, saying that the Department should have engaged the employers to mobilise their workers to register the cards before the deadline instead of issuing the statement.
The Controller and Accountant General’s Department, in a statement said public sector workers who have not registered for the Ghana card will not be paid effective December 1st 2021.
The new directive according to the Department forms part of government’s efforts to deliver a speedy, secured and verified payroll service to government employees and pensioners while reducing the risk of undeserving payment or claims.
The Controller and Accountant General’s Department has since asked public sector workers without the card to register before the given date.
According to the statement, the Controller and Accountant General’s Department is also working with the National Identification Authority to harmonize the database of public sector workers so as to facilitate biometric and unique identification of all workers on the government payroll.
Read Also: Gov’t workers without Ghanacard to forfeit salary effective 1st Dec.
Speaking on Atinka TV’s morning show, Ghana Nie with Ekourba Gyasi Simpremu, Mr Thomas Musah said the notice by the Controller and Accountant General’s Department was in bad taste, asking why the Controller did not threaten the NIA and or Employers but the workers.
He noted that some of the workers were at far places and had difficulties making phone calls due to bad networks, explaining that some wouldn’t have been notified by the said deadline.
“You have exempted the employers, you have exempted the NIA and you go ahead to threaten the worker that you will not pay him or her if he or she does not register, when the person has worked for 30 days?,” he asked.
Mr Thomas Musah also said the directive had not been communicated directly to GNAT, claiming he saw it on social media.
Meanwhile, he was of the belief that the issue should have been communicated to the employers for them to communicate it to the workers.
Although GNAT was not against the decision, he said it would be ideal if the NIA assured that they will go to all the places where the workers are to register them before the said date.
“The NIA has the machines and the resources, but the worker who is somewhere, some who are at places which are out of coverage area, there are places with poor mobile network and there is no assurance that the NIA will go to all these places to register the workers , why should you threaten them?” he quizzed.
He added that, “The worker has a contract with the employer, not the Controller. If the worker has worked for 30 days and his or her employer has not facilitated for him or her to get the card and if the NIA has also not been there, what right do you have to take that particular salary the worker has worked for? Why won’t you threaten the employer but you are threatening the worker? The notice the Controller wrote is in bad taste.”
Ghana| Atinkaonline.com| Porcia Oforiwaa Ofori
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