General News of Monday, 22 January 2018

Source: starrfmonline.com

No delay in January salary – Hamid

Mustapha Hamid, Information Minister Mustapha Hamid, Information Minister

The Information Minister Mustapha Hamid has urged the Public to ignore reports that January salary for public sector workers will delay.

In a statement, Mr. Hamid described the report as fake.

“The release, titled, Delay in Processing January 2018 Salary” alleges that payment of January 2018 salaries to public sector workers will be delayed. I wish to state that, it is fake news and should be disregarded.

“The Controller and Accountant General has sent payment advice of public sector workers to their various banks last Friday 19th January 2018,” the Information Minister said.

Mr. Hamid addressing Journalists Monday also reiterated claims by the President that the bulk of debts owed contractors have been paid.

Following the claims by the President that majority of contractors had been paid, a number of contractors publicly rejected the President’s claims stating that they were yet to be paid.

But according to Mr. Hamid “Government has taken note of a public statement by some GETFUND contractors that “majority” of them have not been paid. While we do not wish to engage them on a banter on semantics, we wish to reiterate that everything that the President said at his press encounter last Wednesday was true reflection of the state of government indebtedness to contractors generally.

“Out of the 1.6 billion cedes that the government owed to contractors, 838 million was what was owed to GETFUND contractors. 470 million of that amount has been paid to them. There is an outstanding bill of 367 million to be cleared. So surely, the bulk of what was owed to GETFUND contractors has been paid.”

The Information Minister touching on the Vice President’s health said Dr. Bawumia will soon return to Ghana to continue his work.

“Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is currently on the medical leave in London. We wish to report that he is doing very well.

“The Chief Of Staff and other senior government officials have been talking to him. God willing, he will be back home shortly to resume his duties.”