Gratuities to be paid through banks as from January

As from next January, the Controller and Accountant-General (CAGD) will pay all gratuities alongside salaries through the banks.

This is part of measures directed at eliminating human interventions in the processes leading to the payment of retirement benefits to civil and public servants on the CAGD'S payroll.

Mr Eugene Ofosuhene, Deputy Controller And Accountant- General, announced this at a day's seminar on "Mechanisation of Gratuity Payments Through the Banks" for District Finance Officers, District Co-ordinating Directors and Heads of Accounts Departments of decentralised institutions in the Volta Region.

Mr Ofosuhene said the CAGD is working towards integrating all aspects of employee benefits administration in such a way that the existing frustrations that retired employees on its payroll face will be eliminated in the next three to five years. For this reason, he called on civil and public servants on the CAGD's payroll to initiate the processing of their retirement benefits six months prior to retirement.

Mr Ofosuhene, who is in charge of treasuries, audit and investigations, therefore called on the Ghana Education Service to decentralise the main files of its employees to their regional and district offices to enable the schedule officers to begin the processing of retirement benefits on time.

Mr William Kemevor, Volta Regional Co-ordinating Director, in his keynote address, asked officers who are charged with working on the benefits of retired colleagues not to place impediments in their way. "Whatever seed we sow today would be what we shall reap tomorrow. If we put the right mechanism in place now to assist retired officers, we shall also enjoy its fruits when we retire," he noted.

Mr Kemevor said poor documentation, long periods spent at the doors of schedule officers, inducements which have to be paid, and the several travels which retired workers are forced to make to Accra negate the honour and dignity which those who have served the country faithfully should enjoy. He said it is therefore not surprising that many civil and public servants dread going on pension because of the uncertainties about their future