Prosper AGBENYEGA
Concerns are mounting over alleged disparities in salaries and allowances under Ghana’s Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP), as a citizen calls on the President to intervene on behalf of civilian staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
In a strongly worded petition, the concerned citizen questioned the integrity of the SSPP, which was introduced to ensure equal pay for equal work across the public sector. According to the petitioner, significant differences persist between payslips issued by the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department and those processed by the GAF Pay Regiment—despite officers holding the same grade.
The petition cites two 2023 payslips for officers classified as Principal Technical Officers. One officer under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), operating within the Ministry of Environment, Science and Innovation, is placed at Level 19 with a monthly salary of GH¢3,939.25.
By contrast, a similarly graded Principal Technical Officer under the Ministry of Defence, paid through the GAF Pay Regiment, is reportedly positioned at Level 16, earning GH¢3,231.10 per month.
The petitioner argues that the disparity has remained unchanged since 2023 and affects multiple grades within the Ghana Armed Forces’ civilian staff structure. While both ministries reportedly provide the same vehicle maintenance allowance of GH¢210.00, the petition claims that additional benefits—including rent and fuel allowances—are accessible to workers under the Ministry of Environment, Science and Innovation but not to their counterparts under the Ministry of Defence.
The development, the petitioner contends, undermines the core objective of the Single Spine Pay Policy, which was designed to eliminate discrepancies in public sector compensation structures.
Calling for presidential intervention, the citizen urged authorities to address what they describe as an unfair and persistent inequity affecting civilian personnel within the Ghana Armed Forces.
The matter is expected to intensify calls for a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Single Spine Pay Policy across ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure uniformity and fairness in public sector remuneration.