The NSS allowance increment which was based on a request from the service, comes 16 days to the NDC’s handover
The Ghanaian government has approved a request from the National Service Secretariate (NSS), to increase the allowance of service personnel by about 60%. According to a letter from the Ministry of Finance, service personnel will from January 2017 be paid a monthly allowance of GH¢559 instead of the GH¢350 they currently receive.
The NSS allowance increment which was based on a request from the service, comes 16 days to the NDC’s handover. The letter signed by Chief Director at the Finance Ministry, Patrick Nomo for the sector minister stated that, the Auditor-General is requested to audit the new rate to enable the Ministry of Finance authorize payment.
About 70,407 service personnel are currently serving in various institutions in the public and private sectors. The NSS last month denied withholding allowances of personnel for December 2016 and January 2017.
Reacting to rumours that it will withhold allowances for December and January, the NSS said it will duly pay all personnel on time without delay. In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations, Ambrose Entsiwah Jnr, the secretariat said the government has already released funds for the payment of all personnel till the end of December 2016, and has also approved its budget for the year 2017.
It has been a season of appointments and allocations for the outgoing National Democratic Congress (NDC), following their defeat in the just concluded elections. Just yesterday [Tuesday], outgoing President John Mahama appointed a new Chairperson for the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice CHRAJ – a move which has attracted a lawsuit against him.
This recent increment of NSS allowances has also raised eyebrows among stakeholders. While some have sensed something fishy in the recent increments, others have expressed gratitude towards the government for making the move.
The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has expressed its gratitude to government following its approval of the NSS allowance increment. The association says the empathetic act by government would enhance the willingness of young people to serve the nation.
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