National Service Authority deploys Ghana.gov web portal for payments

The National Service Authority has gone cashless with personnel payments as officials announce that all financial transactions relating to service personnel will now go through the Ghana.gov.gh platform.

The NSA’s directive, which took effect immediately, eliminates manual payments and requires all administrative fees, including the 20% and 10% service charges, to be made via Ghana.gov.

Ghana.gov.gh is the official web portal for the government, providing citizens with a digital platform for government services, including payments and revenue collection.

The payments option leverages the infrastructure built by the Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GhIPSS), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana.

The platform which is interoperable links up all banks in the country and mobile money operators such as telcos and other fintechs.

According to the NSA, the transition to Ghana.gov is part of a larger government effort to modernise revenue collection and improve financial security.

The platform supports multiple payment options, including mobile money (*222#), debit and credit cards, online banking, and QR code payments.

The NSA insists that this system will not only prevent fraud but also ensure a smoother payment process.

National Service personnel receive monthly allowances but often there are concerns of illegal payments to personnel who don’t exist.

Ghost Names and Payment Fraud in the Past

The issue of ghost names—non-existent personnel receiving allowances—has been a recurring challenge for the National Service Scheme (NSS) in Ghana.

In 2014, an audit revealed that over 22,000 ghost names were on the NSS payroll, costing the state millions of cedis in fraudulent payments. The scandal led to investigations and prosecutions, with several NSS officials implicated in the scheme. Similarly, in 2018, another payroll audit uncovered additional irregularities, prompting calls for stricter financial oversight.

By transitioning to a fully digital system via Ghana.gov, the NSA aims to curb such fraudulent activities, ensuring that only legitimate personnel receive allowances. The expectation is that the platform’s digital verification and direct deposit features will reduce opportunities for ghost names to exist in the system.

The Director-General, Felix Gyamfi, reassured service personnel that the system would be monitored closely to address potential challenges.

“This is a step toward a more transparent and efficient service. We encourage all stakeholders to embrace it and provide feedback for improvements,” he stated.

How National Service Personnel Previously Received Payments

Before the shift to Ghana.gov, National Service Personnel received their monthly allowances primarily through bank deposits. Each personnel was required to open an account with a designated bank and submit banking details to the National Service Secretariat. However, there were challenges, including:

Manual validation processes: Personnel had to visit district or regional offices periodically for biometric or manual verification before payments were processed.

Delays in disbursement: Allowances were often delayed due to administrative bottlenecks, sometimes leaving personnel unpaid for months.

Payment discrepancies: Some personnel reported receiving less than expected, while others faced issues with missing payments that took weeks or months to resolve.

The introduction of Ghana.gov seeks to automate these processes, reducing human interference and ensuring timely and transparent payments.

However, concerns remain about the reliability of the system, especially in rural areas with limited internet connectivity.

Some personnel have already welcomed the initiative. John Asante, an IT graduate currently serving in Accra, believes the Ghana.gov platform will eliminate delays and unnecessary trips to NSA offices.

“We’ve had issues in the past where people had to chase payments. If this system is well implemented, it should make things easier for everyone,” he said.

However, others like Afia Mensah, a National Service Personnel (NSP) in the Greater Accra Region are concerned about the reliability of the platform, particularly for those in rural areas with unstable internet access.

“Not all of us have constant network coverage. If there’s a system failure, do we have backup options?” she questioned. “What if the system crashes? Will our allowances be delayed?”

 

As service personnel adjust to the cashless system, the true test lies in its implementation. Will it indeed eliminate delays and inefficiencies, or will it introduce new hurdles?

This report is produced under the DPI Africa Journalism Fellowship Programme of the Media Foundation for West Africa and Co-Develop.

Caleb Ahinakwah

The writer is a senior broadcast journalist at Asaase Radio and a DPI Fellow with the Media Foundation for West Africa.

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