New systems to eliminate 'ghost names' on pay rolls - Consultant

Accra, July 3, GNA - Introduction of Budget Public Expenditure Systems (BPEMS) would bring transparency and reduce the incidence of ghost names on the pay rolls of Ministries and Department Agencies (MDAs).

Mr Jonace Tetteh Harvie an Information Technology Consultant at the Budget Development Unit of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, said on Thursday. He said BPEMS, was initiated in 1993 to replace the old system after identifying weakness in the areas of budget formulation and expenditure monitoring and control. Other deficiencies were lack of proper accounting and monitoring system, and quality and timely data on government resources. He said the new system would improve the planning, budgeting and implementation at the MDAs.

Mr Harvie said this when he addressed Accountants and Storekeepers of the department of Town and Country Planning at a day's workshop in Accra. The workshop was to enable them to discharge their duties effectively and to promote effective utilisation of financial resources in the MDAs. The participants, drawn from all the regions, would be taken through draft expenditure and cash plan, preparation of vouchers, stores management, preparation of warrants, BPEMS business processes and chart of accounts.

Mr Harvie said the weakness in the activities under the old system had cost the country huge sums of money. Mr Samuel Quarcoopome, Director of the Ministry of Environment and Science, said the audit reports of many departments and organisations had told sad stories of discrepancies and irregularities. "The extent to which these audit reports highlight the irregularities indicates that there is something fundamentally wrong with our store management." He urged the Accountants and Storekeepers to be circumspect and meticulous in their work to avoid adverse audit reports, over-invoicing and other financial malpractices.