The National Service Authority (NSA) has announced a significant reduction in its annual payroll, decreasing it from approximately GH₵1.6 billion to around GH₵700 million. This change is the result of enhanced verification systems aimed at eliminating ghost names from its payroll.
Lieutenant Colonel Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu, Deputy Director General of Operations, shared these figures during an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show. He described this sharp reduction as evidence that the ongoing reforms within the Authority are producing positive results. “Previously, the government’s payroll ranged from about GH₵1.5 billion to GH₵1.6 billion each year. As of last year, we spent just about GH₵700 million,” he stated.
According to him, the savings were not achieved by cutting the number of national service personnel posted across the country, but by strengthening controls over how monthly allowances are processed and paid. Lt. Col. Kpeungu explained that under the current system, each service person’s monthly evaluation must first be endorsed by a supervisor at the institution where they are posted.
The documents are then verified at the district level, reviewed by an internal auditor, cleared by the regional director, and reconciled by accountants at the NSA head office before final payment approval is issued through the Controller and Accountant General’s Department.
He admitted the process is detailed and involves several checks, but insisted it is fully digital and has not created major payment delays. The Deputy Director General said the Authority currently owes personnel only one month’s allowance — March — which he described as manageable considering the size of the scheme.
With nearly 99,500 service personnel currently deployed nationwide, he said the NSA spends about GH₵50 million every month on allowances, translating to an estimated GH₵600 million annually.
Source: Caleb Ahinakwah
