Deputy Controller and Accountant-General (Audit & Investigations), Mr. Wisdom Komlan Messan
As part of the ongoing process to migrate the payroll of eight (8) Public Universities onto the Government of Ghana (GoG) mechanized payroll system, a sensitization programme was organized for members of Senior Management as well as constituent groups in the University of Ghana on Monday, September 28, 2020.
The Registrar, Mrs. Mercy Haizel-Ashia, welcomed the participants to the interactive event. She was elated that, long after the idea was first discussed, the time for implementation was finally in sight.
Registrar, Mrs. Mercy Haizel-Ashia
The Registrar further disclosed that a team of GoG officials led by the Controller and Accountant-General, Mr. Kwasi Kwaning- Bosompem, had earlier in the day engaged with Senior Management of the University. She urged participants to listen attentively to the presentation in order to apprise themselves of the new development and brace themselves for the impending changes that may occur.
In a speech read on behalf of the Controller and Accountant-General, the Deputy Controller and Accountant-General (Audit & Investigations), Mr. Wisdom Komlan Messan, recounted that the journey toward migrating Public Institutions onto the GoG Mechanized Payroll started some 13 years ago. He indicated that some educational and research institutions, including the University of Professional Studies, the Ghana Institute of Journalism, all the Technical Universities, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, had already migrated. He stated further that an efficient economic management hinges on the availability and accessibility of reliable data and that a successful migration of the remaining Public Universities will enhance economic planning, especially with regards to budget preparation and execution. He added that Public Universities stand to benefit from this migration, as they will no longer need to look for resources to run their internal payrolls or wait for government subventions to pay monthly salaries.
Mrs. Georgina Tyson, a Payroll Consultant, indicated that the purpose of the sensitization programme is to allay the fears of employees and erase any doubts surrounding the migration onto the GoG mechanised payroll system. She gave the assurance that care has been taken to make the migration smooth. This includes training personnel, developing the legal framework backing the process, running sensitization programmes and payroll processes, and facilitating relevant policies and procedures.
Mrs. Georgina Tyson, Payroll Consultant
It emerged during the Question and Answer session that the Controller was mandated by the Public Financial Management Act to migrate all Government payrolls to the GIFMIS platform and that the Controller had already done test runs.
In closing remarks, the Director of Finance of the University, Mr. Kwasi Odame, reiterated the fact that the decision to migrate had passed through various stages of deliberations starting with Vice-Chancellors Ghana, down the lane to other stakeholders over the period. He assured the participants that no University employee will be disadvantaged with the migration.
Director of Finance of the University, Mr. Kwasi Odame
Present at the ceremony were the Pro-Vice Chancellors (ASA and RID), Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo and Prof. Felix A. Asante, and other members of University of Ghana Senior Management; HR Directors, Payroll Officers, IT Officers and the Internal Auditor. Other participating constituents of the University, represented by their executives, were the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG); the Ghana Association of University Administrators (GAUA); the Federation of Universities Senior Staff Associations of Ghana (FUSSAG); the Senior Staff Association (SSA); and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union of Ghana (TEWU).
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