Finance Ministry roles out biometric payroll data

Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning (MOFEP), has noted that the biometric data for public service employees in subvented agencies have been captured to effect salary payments in October.

He therefore directed the agencies to ensure that they process their salaries based on the data.

This was contained in a press release signed by the sector Minister and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Friday in Accra.

The release said the biometric data have been submitted to the agencies for the purpose of validating the data for payment of salaries.

It asked the subvented agencies that have not yet obtained their biometric data to contact the Ministry through the Coordinator of the Biometric Registration Exercise.

The release said all staff who could not participate in the biometric registration exercise should go to the nearest Controller and Accountant General’s Department (CAGD) or MOFEP to register as soon as possible.

It asked subvented agencies to submit to CAGD the names of staff that were being paid through Internally Generated Funds (IGF) but whose captured data on the biometric register were excluded for the processing of their salaries for payment.

It said a copy of the validated biometric data which excludes the list of staff paid using IGFs should be submitted to the Ministry and the Audit service to ensure smooth implementation of the policy.

The Ministry through Messrs 3M Cogent started a payroll registration of pensioners and active public sector employees in June 2011 as part of processes of cleaning the payroll database of public workers and pensioners.

The exercise was completed for pensioners in January and the resultant database is being used to effect pension payment since March.

It said the biometric registration for active public sector workers began in April and that the salaries of public sector workers on the mechanised payroll are being paid using the biometric data since July.

Source: GNA