The Fair Wages and Salary Commission (FWSC) has declared that it will launch a nationwide payroll monitoring exercise in April as part of its measures to improve the public sector payroll,

According to the Commission, the exercise will be carried out in consultation with the appropriate parties.

The effort is geared to find and eliminate any fraud and abnormalities that may already exist in the public sector payroll, according to a public notice released by the Public Affairs Unit of the Commission.

“It is also aimed at ensuring that only approved salaries and allowances are paid,” the notice said.

Ahead of the exercise, the Commission has called on all boards and councils as well as heads of public sector institutions “to conduct their own internal payroll audit and clean-up ahead of that of the Commission”.

“This exercise should cover basic salaries and all types of allowances and benefits.

“By this communication, banks and individuals in receipt of fraudulent salaries and allowances are also advised to take steps to refund same and cease from further fraudulent practices or face the full rigours of the law.”

This exercise has become necessary according to the institution some unscrupulous persons may have been alleged to have been unduly paid.