The Government of the United Kingdom is to make available an amount of ?54.6 billion (?3.9 million) to the Controller and Accountant General’s Department to enable it to begin the second phase of the new payroll system.

The system, known as the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database Two (IPPD2), is expected to operate on human resource management application software in the collection of data, processing and printing of payrolls.

In an interview in Accra last Friday, a director at the department, Mr. Daniel Domelevo, said the two year project entails the networking of the various regions and districts to the headquarters, installation of the software system and consulting fees.

It also involves the training of technical staff to handle the equipment as well as those who will work directly with the system.

Mr. Domelevo said the first phase of the project started in 1999 but could not be continued because the Department for International Development (DFID) which funded the first phase of the project withdrew their support.

He said for that period, DFID provided ?2.3 million for the initial preparations to ensure a smooth take-off of the project. Mr. Domelevo said apart from the sensitization programmes that were carried out by the department through the country, an IPPD2 server and a number of personal computers were acquired for the first phase.

He expressed the hope that if funds are released on time, the project will be completed within the stipulated period. The switch-over from the old system to a new one has become necessary owing to the breakdown of the machines, a situation which makes it easy for the insertion of ghost names in the payrolls of the public sector which has led to the loss of more than ?3.6 billion to the state

Mr. Domelevo, however, stated that the new system does not cover everybody in the public sector. He mentioned the Ghana Police Service, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) as well as staff in all tertiary institutions as some of those who will not be covered by the project.