The National Service Authority (NSA) has successfully reduced its annual payroll from approximately GH¢1.6 billion to GH¢700 million following the introduction of tighter verification systems.
Deputy Director-General of the NSA, Lieutenant Colonel Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu, disclosed this achievement, attributing it to strengthened payment processes that ensure only duly verified personnel receive allowances.
He explained that the new system is designed to eliminate irregular payments, particularly those linked to ghost names, through stricter checks before disbursements are made.
According to Lt. Col. Kpeungu, the significant savings were achieved not by reducing the number of service personnel deployed across the country, but by tightening controls around how monthly allowances are processed.
He noted that under the revised regime, every national service person must undergo a monthly evaluation, which must be duly endorsed by a supervisor at their place of posting before payment is approved.
The Deputy Director-General stressed that the measures reflect the NSA’s renewed commitment to fiscal discipline and value for money.
“Previously, the payroll of the government was about 1.5 to 1.6 billion every year. As of last year, we paid barely about GH¢700 million,” he said in an interview with Joy FM.
Lt. Col. Kpeungu further revealed that the Authority has cleared most arrears owed to service personnel, with only one month — March — outstanding, adding that processes are underway to settle the remaining payments.
The development comes amid ongoing legal proceedings involving former NSA Director-General Osei Assibey Antwi and his deputy Gifty Oware-Mensah over allegations of ghost names on the Authority’s payroll.
The alleged scheme involves 9,934 non-existent national service personnel, with prosecutors indicating that the infractions may have caused the state losses exceeding GH¢38 million.