About 170,000 to 180,000 national services persons are going to be posted to undertake their compulsory service to the nation, Acting Director of Corporate Affairs at the National Service Scheme (NSS) Secretariat, Ambrose Enstiwah Jnr, said.
He admitted that this is going to be a huge cost to the state to pay following the increment in the allowance.
Speaking on News 360 on TV3 Sunday, July 23, the Acting Director of Corporate Affairs at the NSS Secretariat, Ambrose Enstiwah Jnr, said “This year we are looking at about 170,000 to 180,000 people who are going to be posted in September.
“That is a huge cost to the state. Let us also not forget that whatever we decide to pay to the service personnel, for those who are going to be posted to the private sector, the private sector will have to pay the same. So if you are not careful and you peg it at a level where they cannot pay that means they cannot take service personnel at all.
“So it is important that we continue these things and consider the effects of the amount to be paid. It will be better to have this one paid than peg it at a level they cannot pay.
“Hopefully, for those who are doing their service now, they will finish in October and the new service personnel will start from October so we will start with them with the new rate of GHS715.”
The government has approved an upward adjustment of the monthly allowance from GHS559 to GHS715.
The Ministry of Finance directed the controller and accountant general to give effect to the new levels of personnel allowance.
“In effect, all national service personnel who are currently in active service are entitled in arrears for the difference in the upward adjustment from January 2023 and would be paid accordingly,” a statement issued by the National Service Secretariat said.
The statement added, “Management, therefore, urges all national service personnel to exercise patience as the necessary administrative processes are being concluded to have all the arrears paid.”
