CAGD Warns Public Sector Staff Against Unauthorized 2025 Salaries and Allowances Training.

CAGD Warns Public Sector Staff Against Unauthorized 2025 Payroll and Salary Management Training.

The Controller and Accountant-General's Department (CAGD) has cautioned public sector workers against attending payroll training sessions organized by unauthorized private institutions. 

In a recent directive, the department made it clear that only the CAGD holds the legal mandate to oversee all public sector salary matters.

The caution, communicated through a circular dated June 11, 2025, was sent to all Regional Directors of CAGD, Heads of Covered Entities, Human Resource Management Units, and Personnel Processing Sections. The notice was prompted by a training invitation from the Institute of Public Management and Administration (IPMA), advertising a two-day program on 2025 salary management.

Referring to its mandate under Section 8 of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 931), the CAGD underscored its responsibility as the Chief Accounting Officer and adviser to government on financial management. This authority extends to determining accounting policies, standards, and classifications for all covered public institutions. The department further stressed that it already conducts comprehensive training for its staff on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD2) System, delivered by its experienced and well-resourced personnel.

CAGD expressed strong concerns about the potential risks posed by external training programs that are not aligned with official procedures. According to the department, private training providers may lack access to CAGD’s latest administrative guidelines, policies, and directives, creating the risk of conflicting or inaccurate information being disseminated to public sector staff.

To maintain consistency and adherence to official guidelines, CAGD has directed all staff and Covered Entities to avoid participating in unauthorized training sessions. Regional Directors and Heads of Covered Entities have been instructed to immediately halt any involvement or promotion of such external programs. Additionally, any requests for capacity-building related to payroll or salary management are to be channeled through Regional Directors to the CAGD Head Office for appropriate handling.

The IPMA program in question was titled: Invitation to a Two-Day Training on 2025 Salary (Salaries & Allowances) Management, Audit, and the Current Human Resource Management Policies in the Public Sector. Scheduled for May 29-30, 2025, at Sunyani Technical University Auditorium, the workshop required a registration fee of GHS 750 per participant. Targeted participants included Directors, Finance Officers, Medical Superintendents, Headmasters, Human Resource Managers, Payroll Officers, Internal Auditors, Accountants, Administrators, and Validators. The workshop aimed to prepare attendees for Auditor General's payroll audits, train participants on salary budgeting, structure, nominal roll management, and payroll corrections, examine the role of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission in payroll oversight, and review Human Resource Management policies issued by the Public Services Commission.

The CAGD remains firm that all public sector payroll and salary training must be supervised under its authority to ensure policy consistency and compliance with existing laws and regulations.