The Deputy Upper West Regional Minister has appealed to the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD) to decentralise aspects of the payroll to make it easy for workers to have their salary problems resolved.

Mr Cezar Kale said, the time has come for the CAGD to hasten the process whereby payrolls could at least be printed at the regional level.

Mr Kale who was speaking at a two-day educational forum on the mechanised payroll for public servants organised by the CAGD in Wa noted that these measures would go a long way in helping to address some of the challenges that workers encountered with their pay.

The Deputy Regional Minister said Government had often borne the brunt of misunderstandings over payroll issues.

He stated that the high spate of industrial action by workers could be seriously reduced if the CAGD open up more discussions on issues relating to payroll with stakeholders.

Mr Kale pointed out that Government had demonstrated its commitment to improve on the living condition of workers through the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS) and the continuous review of the minimum wage to cushion workers against any rise in the cost of living.

He also appealed to Heads of Departments to continue to seek the elimination of “ghost names” from the payroll so that such monies could be channeled into useful development ventures.

Mr Raphael K. Tuffuor, Controller of CAGD in a speech read on his behalf said the forum had become necessary because of the numerous complaints the Department received from employees concerning their salaries.

The platform was meant to remind Heads of Department of their responsibility of ensuring that the mechanised payroll reports are checked thoroughly to eliminate all irregularities.

It would also afford public servants the opportunity to ask questions relating to their salaries and have them addressed by the resource persons.

Mr Tuffuor observed that with the support of leaders of organised labour and other public servants, the Department was able to migrate 53 organisations, representing more than 90 per cent of institutions unto the SSSS on the mechanised payroll.

In its bid to sustain the educational campaign and also decentralise the payroll, the Department had set up payroll clinics in the 170 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

Participants at the forum are expected to be taken through the processes involved in managing the mechanised payroll, the SSSS as well as some specific payroll issues.**