National Service Authority payroll reduced from GH¢1.6bn to GH¢700m after ghost names cleansing

Deputy Director General, Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu

The National Service Authority has cut its annual payroll from about GH¢1.6 billion to GH¢700 million following the introduction of stricter verification and payment controls.

Deputy Director General, Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu, said the Authority has overhauled its systems to ensure that only properly validated personnel receive allowances, effectively blocking irregular payments linked to ghost names.

He explained that the sharp reduction was not due to a drop in the number of service personnel, but the result of tighter oversight in how monthly allowances are processed and approved.

Under the revised system, every national service person must undergo a monthly assessment endorsed by a supervisor at their place of posting before payment is released.

“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 noted that the reforms reflect a renewed focus on accountability, fiscal discipline, and value for money within the Authority.

The development comes as the NSA remains at the centre of ongoing legal proceedings involving former Director General Osei Assibey Antwi and his deputy Gifty Oware-Mensah over alleged payroll fraud.

Prosecutors claim the scheme involved 9,934 ghost names and may have caused losses exceeding GH¢38 million.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Director General disclosed that most arrears owed to service personnel have been cleared, with only March payments outstanding, adding that steps are underway to settle the remaining obligations.