General News of Sunday, 2 April 2017

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Pay us in arrears - NASPA to government

The National Service Personnel Association(NASPA) wants government to back date their allowance The National Service Personnel Association(NASPA) wants government to back date their allowance

The National Service Personnel Association(NASPA) wants government to back date their allowance for three months following the announcement of an increment.

According to them, the National Service Secretariat in earlier engagements with them assured to settle their allowance with arrears following failure to effect the increment in January.

The Mahama administration increased the allowance of personnel from GHs 350 to GHS 559 before it left office but this has not been effected in the past three months.

Some of the personnel threatened to demonstrate over the matter after the scheme delayed payment of the new allowance pending approval by government.

But the scheme on Wednesday, 29th March, 2017, said the government has given the green light for the upward adjustment to be effected.

Following the development, the Acting National President of NASPA, Kojo Danquah in an interview with Accra-based Citi FM said government must come clear on whether it will effect the payment from January as promised.

“Per the deliberations we had then, they made us understood that Yes, the allowances were going to be captured in the Budget, and they were going to pay, and they were going pay arrears. So we are seeing it as surprising to have seen a release coming from them, saying that this time round they are implementing it and its taking effect from April 1. So I think that the National Service Scheme and government generally is treating National Service Personnel well and this is too sad. So what we are saying is that the scheme must come clear on this issue. The scheme must tell us as to whether they are going to pay the arears or not, because per the release eventhough they said it will take effect from 1st of April, they did not categorically state as to whether arrears would be paid or not.”