The Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Osei Assibey Antwi, has attributed delays in allowance payments to service personnel themselves.
He points out that the youth today lack punctuality, often failing to submit required documents on time for timely processing of allowances.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament on February 15, 2024, Assibey Antwi highlighted the challenge posed by the vast number of national service personnel and emphasized the difficulties in processing stipends when essential documentation is not promptly submitted.
“Mr Chairman, first of all, National Service, we’re widespread in number and to be able to ensure value for money, we actually have to go through a lot of extraneous validation process.
“…. The youth of today are not like us when we were doing our national service, we were taking to time, and if they have to submit by 15th, they do so. Mr Chairman, it would actually surprise you to know that we are now in February but a large number of them even have not been able to submit their appointment letters… that is the youth that we are working with now,” he said.
He added, “So, always we have to be on them and the way the system is structured if you don’t get more than 70%, 80% to submit and then you decide to submit in pieces, it becomes difficult because first it has to go through the auditors, the auditors would go through the controller, so the processes are long.”
“So, we are now speaking to NASPA to speak to their peers so that this batch we have a different story altogether,” he added.
Acknowledging the extensive validation process required due to the scheme’s widespread reach, Assibey Antwi emphasized the need for timely submissions.
He expressed concern that the current system faces challenges when a significant percentage of personnel fail to submit documents in a timely manner.
To address this issue, the NSS is collaborating with the National Service Personnel Association (NASPA) to encourage early document submissions and avoid delays in allowances for the 2024 batch of NSS personnel.
“So, we are now speaking to NASPA to speak to their peers so that this batch we have a different story altogether,” he added.