Government to ensure transparency in Single Spine Salary migration – Employment Minister
The Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, on Tuesday reiterated Government’s commitment to ensuring that the migration on the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP) was done fairly and transparently.
He said it was important for the public to note that the implementation of the SSPP was a process, which has a lifespan of five years.
Mr Mensah, who took his turn at the meet-the-press series to outline the progress and challenges of the sector Ministry, said measures were initiated to address any problem that would arise from migrating people onto the SSSS.
He said as at November 2011, the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, had migrated 54 public service institutions onto the SSSS.
The Minister said that represented 97.57 per cent (458,233) of public service employees, leaving 2.43 per cent (11,431) of public service employees to be hooked onto the SSSS.
Mr Mensah announced that the Ministry had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Harvard Marine International Ghana Limited, to partner National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), to establish an internationally recognized training institute to certify oil and gas training programmes.
The Minister said the NVTI under its regular programmes, would train 4,000 candidates in various trades.
“The MDPI is also restructuring its training programmes and will progressively expand them in line with the labour demand of the Oil and Gas Sector of the economy,” he said.
Mr Mensah said 40,064 households in 83 districts had been covered under the regular Livelihood Employment Against Poverty (LEAP) out of the targeted 55,000 households in 100 districts.
“Under the Emergency LEAP, 67,839 households in 58 districts were covered,” he said.
Mr mensah said stakeholders’ consultation were underway to solicit views and inputs regarding the review of National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS) and formulation of the Ghana Social Policy Framework.
He said the Ministry had developed a Common Targeting Mechanism (CTM) to effectively target beneficiaries of pro-poor interventions in all sectors to eliminate inclusion and exclusion errors associated with the various interventions.
Mr Mensah announced that Government released GH¢6,330,000 out of which GH¢2,493,713 had been disbursed to the beneficiaries covering a six-month period ending April, 2011.
“As I speak, preparations are underway to pay beneficiaries for the period May to October 2011,” he said.
On National Labour Commission, Mr Mensah said, by the end of October, the Commission had received a total of 550 cases relating to summary dismissals, unfair termination, unpaid salaries, workmen’s compensation, retirement/end of service benefits, redundancy/lay-off/severance pay and others.
He said out of the number, 326 were fully settled representing, 59.3 per cent, while the rest of the cases were going through the process of settlement.
Mr Mensah said: “At the end of October 2011, the Commission had received and paid over GH¢300,000 as compensation to petitioners who filed complaints with its.
He said social protection policies and programmes being carried out by the Department of Social Welfare demonstrate Government’s commitment to social democratic principles.
Mr Mensah said: “One of such strategies is to promote the empowerment of the poor through the implementation of a range of social protection interventions”.
He said the department took the lead role in the integration of the disadvantaged, the excluded, the vulnerable, and Persons with Disability into mainstream society through its core programmes namely: Community care, Justice Administration and child Rights Promotion and Protection.
Mr Mensah said during the period under review, 415 children were reunited with their families and supported; created database of children in institutions; drafted foster care regulations, licensed five orphanages; 15 orphanages closed down for non compliance with rules and regulations; 256 social workers trained and proprietors of orphanages sensitized on standards and management of their facilities.
The Minister said 168 Persons with Disability (PWDs) were identified and registered; 94 children with disability were supported in various ways such as wheel chairs, walking aids and payment of school fees by the Department and District Assemblies, and 256 PWDs were trained in DSW Vocational Rehabilitation Centers in carpentry, leather works, tailoring and cane works.
Mr Mensah was grateful for the immense contribution and support from the development partners and restated government’s commitment to deliver on its mandate with much more enthusiasm and determination.
Source: GNA