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The Ministry of Finance has denied reports that government will only pay three months of the salary arrears it owes workers irrespective of the number of months owed. �The Ministry wishes to assure all affected public service employees that this is not true,� the Ministry said in a statement. The Ministry in a press statement issued said it has rather put in place systems to ensure that only deserving workers were paid. �As part of government�s measures to improve and control the management of the payroll and ensure that only deserving staff are paid genuinely earned salary arrears, the Ministry of Finance issued a directive in November, 2013 to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) stipulating the procedure for payment of arrears. This stated that the Ministry would pay an initial three months� salary arrears to beneficiaries, i.e. new entrants, promoted/upgraded and re-engaged/ re-instated staff. Payment of any outstanding arrears beyond the three months will be done after the submission of completed Payments of Salary Arrears forms through the Sector Ministries for validation and subsequently, to the Ministry of Finance for payment,� the statement further added. In the statement, government also assured the affected employees that their claims will be paid after it has been audited. Below is the full statement PAYMENT OF SALARY ARREARS OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES The attention of the Ministry of Finance has been drawn to rumours currently circulating to the effect that all workers with salary arrears would only be paid three months� salary arrears irrespective of the number of months owed. The Ministry wishes to assure all affected public service employees that this is not true. As part of Government�s measures to improve and control the management of the payroll and ensure that only deserving staff are paid genuinely earned salary arrears, the Ministry of Finance issued a directive in November, 2013 to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) stipulating the procedure for payment of arrears. This stated that the Ministry would pay an initial three months� salary arrears to beneficiaries, i.e. new entrants, promoted/upgraded and re-engaged/ re-instated staff. Payment of any outstanding arrears beyond the three months will be done after the submission of completed Payments of Salary Arrears forms through the Sector Ministries for validation and subsequently, to the Ministry of Finance for payment. The policy directive was issued after the Ministry detected several anomalies in the processing of inputs forms of employees at various cost centres, such as unjustifiable backdating of appointment and promotion dates. This directive applied to all Public Sector Employees. The information to be provided on the form for payments of salary arrears was agreed on after deliberations with the leadership of some Public Sector Unions including GNAT, NAGRAT and Coalition of Concerned Teachers. Information required included, reasons for delays at all levels and justification for the payment. A directive on the procedures for redress was also issued to all Sector Ministries, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, Director Generals, Chairpersons and Chief Executive Officers, and Leaders of organized Labour groups. All government employees on the mechanized payroll with issues relating to salary arrears should contact their respective Human Resource Departments or District Offices for processing using the approved forms. Government assures all affected employees that their claims will be paid after it has been audited. Copies of the forms can also be downloaded from the Ministry of Finance website; www.mofep.gov.gh End. ISSUED BY THE PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT