The Controller Accountant General, Christian T. Sottie, has directed that salaries of public and, civil servant should be paid at the current approved levels.

He said such payments would continue till a directive from the government instructs otherwise.

Mr Sottie said this in an interview with the Times in Accra yesterday. The interview came in the wake of the salary increase announced by former president John Agyekum Kufuor on the eve of his leaving office.

The pay increase is between 16,6 and 34 per cent for the various categories of public sector workers.

Mr Sottie said effecting salary increase of workers has a pattern to follow and is not by mere pronouncement.

"The Controller and Accountant General's Department has come under heavy bombardment following the purported announcement,” he sated.

He said prior to salary increases, circulars are sent to heads of Ministries, departments and agencies to prepare well defined payroll for the various categories of workers.

“In this case my outfit is ignorant of the pronouncement until it receives directive from the new government as to the categories of workers to receive either the 16.5 or the 34 per cent pay rise."

Meanwhile the Ghana News Agency reports that the Controller and Accountant General has issued new directive to re-enforce earlier ones that all treasury books be closed by January 9, 2009, in respect of the financial year ended December 2O08.

A release by the Controller and Accountant, General in Accra on Monday said this is a follow-up circular to re-enforce those guidelines and to provide further directives on commitments and payments by ministries, departments and agencies as follows:

Item one - personnel emolument should be paid at current approved levels.

Item two and three, administration anti service expenditure - these shall be committed and paid for to support overhead and operational expenditures within limits set in the approved vote on account.

Item four - investment/Capital expenditure (a) no new investment ccapital expenditure should be initiated; (b) payments for on-going projects should be with prior approval from the office of the president through the chairman of the finance and economic committee of the transition team. No contract variations are permitted.

The released said (c) other payment: these include legal obligations judgment debts in respect of obligations as at 31st December 2008 only. Approval must be sought from the office of the president through the chairman of the finance committee of the transition team.

These directives shall continue in force until substantive ministers have been appointed.

The release said it should be noted that the directive covers all metropolitan municipal and district assemblies as well and failure to comply with these directives will all attract the appropriate sanctions.