GBC staff to refund over GH¢2m as ‘unearned’ allowances

The Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC), Ing. Ben Arthur, has written to the Controller and Accountant-General to enjoin some staff of the state broadcaster to refund some allowances said to be wrongfully paid them.

The affected staff are said to have received a total of GH¢2,084,020 in “unearned” allowances within a year.

According to the letter, the allowances were not supposed to have been paid because the staff were not entitled to them.

This came to light in the aftermath of the Nationwide Payroll Monitoring Exercise initiated by the Commission.

“As part of the payroll monitoring exercise, FWSC has discovered that some staff of GBC are currently enjoying allowances which they are not entitled to,” the letter observed.

The affected staff include those who received Vehicle Maintenance Allowance and GBC Computer Special Allowance.

According to Ing. Arthur, these should be taken off the payroll.

It said the latter, for instance, has never been determined by the Employer and was consolidated into the basic salary after the migration of GBC staff unto the Single Spine Salary Structure.

Some staff below the rank of Director are also said to be receiving allowances for items such as rent, domestic servant cleaner, housing, entertainment and utility in contravention of Category 4 Allowances.

“This should be stopped and taken off the payroll.”

The situation is said to be generating agitations among workers at GBC.

Source: Emmanuel Kwame Amoh

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