The efforts being made by the government to clean the payroll system is very laudable and commendable. This is because it is the surest way of not only protecting the public purse, but also an opportunity for people to be employed and increase productivity in the country.
However, one factor that accounts for poverty and emotional stress among Ghanaian workers is the uncertainty of salary payments.
In some years back, the government, through the Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD) published the dates for the payment of salaries for the perusal of workers within the year. However, hardly does the CAGD follow this payment plan. Government employees are always at the mercy of text messages which never come or come late before commercial banks work on those payments.
Thus, if an employee unfortunately finds himself in a bank that delays payment by virtue of having problem in the internet connection, then the emotional stress becomes worse.
In Europe and many parts of the developed world, payment of salaries is fixed like say the 28th of every month. When the 28th falls on a bank (public) holiday or weekend, payment is done on the working day prior to the holiday. In this way, workers could plan ahead, expend, borrow and do their businesses approximately.
The situation where workers keep asking their colleagues whether they have received text messages from the CAGD or the banks should be a thing of the past. The CAGD should fix one particular day within the month and send text messages to workers a day prior to the payment.
It is my fervent hope that, all stakeholders - Finance Ministry, CAGD, public institutions etc would help facilitate the payment of salaries of public workers to relieve them of monthly emotional tensions.
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