The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) is a government agency tasked with the responsibility of developing and monitoring allowances and benefits, as well as coordinating, managing, and monitoring collective bargaining processes in which the government is the direct or indirect employer.
In line with its mandate, the FWSC is embarking on a Nationwide Payroll Monitoring Exercise in collaboration with relevant stakeholders from 1st April 2023.
The exercise is aimed at cleaning up the Public Sector Payroll by identifying and expunging any existing fraud and anomalies.
It is also aimed at ensuring that only approved salaries and allowances are paid to employees. The FWSC believes that this exercise will go a long way in restoring the integrity of the public sector payroll system, which has been plagued by fraudulent activities for far too long.
The public sector payroll system has been a source of concern for the government and taxpayers for many years. There have been reports of ghost names, duplication of names, and fraudulent activities on the payroll.
The FWSC recognizes the need for urgent action to address these challenges and restore the public’s trust in the government’s ability to manage public funds effectively.
As part of the efforts to sanitize the payroll system, the FWSC is calling on all Boards/Councils and Heads of Public Sector Institutions to conduct their internal payroll audit and clean-up ahead of the Commission’s exercise.
This will ensure that any issues identified by these institutions are addressed before the Commission’s monitoring exercise. The internal audit exercise should cover basic salaries and all types of allowances and benefits.
The FWSC also advises banks and individuals who are in receipt of fraudulent salaries and allowances to take steps to refund same and cease from further fraudulent practices. Failure to comply with this advice will result in the full rigors of the law being applied.
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The FWSC is committed to ensuring that public funds are utilized for the benefit of all citizens. The Commission recognizes that the success of this exercise depends on the cooperation of all stakeholders, including public sector institutions, employees, and banks.
The FWSC urges everyone to support this exercise, which is aimed at promoting transparency and accountability in the management of public funds.
