President John Dramani Mahama is advocating the decentralization of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) payroll system as part of efforts to enhance public financial management and improve accountability across the public sector.
Speaking at the opening of the 3rd Annual Conference of the African Association of Accountants-General in Accra, the President said decentralizing payroll management to the district level would curb revenue losses, strengthen governance, and boost the performance of public servants.
According to him, the move would also help address the long-standing issue of “ghost names” on the government payroll by bringing accountability closer to the institutions that directly supervise employees.
Controller and Accountant-General Akwesi Agyei, who also addressed the conference, revealed that the CAGD is tightening measures to seal revenue leakages, noting that some institutions continue to use manual cheques to bypass the Ghana Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS).
He said the Department is working to completely eliminate the use of manual cheque systems and transition fully to electronic processes by the first quarter of 2026 to ensure greater transparency and efficiency in public financial management.
Meanwhile, Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem commented on President Mahama’s recent caution that any appointee who brings scandal to his administration would face serious consequences.
He said the warning has heightened vigilance among appointees and reinforced the government’s commitment to integrity.
He commended the President’s leadership and assured that he and other officials are committed to ensuring a scandal-free administration.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
