The Executive Director of the National Service Secretariat has refuted claims that allowance paid to personnel delay due to bureaucratic deficits.
Contrary to such claims, Mustapha Ussif has maintained the management of the scheme has for some three years now been punctual with the payments of allowances to personnel.
Mr Ussif made this known while addressing the media at a press conference at the Secretariat in Accra, Monday, July 15, 2019.
Service payments, he said, have for the past three years and counting been made to personnel to fulfill their duties at their place of posts and not just because “you have been deployed.”
“For the past three years, there is no month that we have service personnel complaining of delay of payment. It has never happened. Let me assure you that National Service is dear to the president because he knows the contributions service personnel make to this economy.” He said.
He added that “We only pay those who do the service, so we ensure value for money. We’ll not just pay just because you’ve been deployed. You have to report to post and work and be paid for the work done. We won’t pay you just because you are a National Service Personnel.
No increment of allowance; personnel are happy
Mr. Ussif while responding to a question regarding the increment of allowance emphasised that, the management of the secretariat has not in any way hatched any plans of increasing the service allowance paid to personnel.
“There are no plans of increment in service personnel allowance, but as and when the need arises we’ll surely communicate that...With the GHC559, the service personnel are so happy with it.” He emphasized.
Currently, National Service Personnel are paid a monthly stipend of GHC559.
Release of service postings
As part of his address, Mr. Ussif also announced the release of the 2019/2020 service postings as well as the deployment registration processes.
“For the 2019/2020 service year, a total of 77,962 National Service personnel have so far been deployed”, he noted.
Adding that, 66,348 personnel representing 85.1 percent have been deployed to various institutions in the public sector while 11,614 representing 14.1 percent are to serve in the private sector.
The scheme has also deployed 6,000 personnel to aid the Agriculture sector with the aim of serving on the Planting for Food and Jobs policy as well as 2000 personnel to the Entrepreneurship programme in poultry.
Meanwhile, National Service for the 2019/2020 service year is scheduled to begin on September 2, 2019.
