BUDGET: Finance Minister asks HMUs to confirm staff existence

Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo has directed Heads of Management Units to confirm the existence of their staff by signing the relevant parts of their payroll monthly.

He also directed the Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD) to conduct a payroll audit to ensure compliance of the order to eliminate ghost names.

As part of measures to control and eliminate the payment of unapproved allowances, subvented organisations will be required to submit the previous month's actual payroll to the CAGD before the current month's release is effected.

Additionally, all allowances will have their votes for salaries transferred into separate accounts at the Bank of Ghana and government will remove all regulatory bodies from the list of subvented agencies and explore alternative measures for their financial support. Mr Osafo-Maafo, who gave the order when he read the 2001 budget statement in parliament on Friday, said the government is disturbed by the impunity with which financial regulations are being violated through acts of commission and omission resulting in huge losses to the state and warned that government would pursue its "avowed declaration of zero tolerance for all acts of corruption".

Mr. Osafo-Maafo said all Ministries, Departments and Agencies with the assistance of the Attorney General, are expected to audit and review all existing contracts, the supply of goods and services, including consultancies to ensure transparency and accountability.

Mr. Osafo-Maafo said government will ensure that internally generated funds that hitherto did not get into the Consolidated Fund are lodged into the Fund to strengthen public finance management.

It has accordingly requested agents that collect tax revenues on behalf of government such as the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to pay all such moneys into the Consolidated Fund.

He said an Economic Policy Co-ordination Committee at the Ministerial and Technical levels with key Ministries and the BOG to be operational by March 31, 2001 would be established to monitor expenditure, ensure fiscal discipline and properly prioritise the use of government and donor resource.

Mr. Osafo-Maafo announced that government would establish the Small Businesses Services (SBS) as a public-private partnership to support the development and growth of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs).

The SBS, which will cater for start-ups under an Enterprise Agency and Business Network for existing business potential, will bring together all government initiatives for SMEs and provide expertise, advice and management skills, among others.