National Service Secretariat increases NSS allowance to Ghc 559
The national service secretariat has approved a request to increase the national service allowance of the current service personnel by 60%. The national service personnel will from January 2017 receive a net total of Ghc 559 as their monthly service allowance.
National service personnel currently receive an amount of Ghc 350 as monthly allowance which is paid normally before the end of each payment month.
A group of service personnel last August started a crusade to get the NSS allowance increased by the National service secretariat.
After series of petitions and meetings led by the chief petitioner Master Stephen Tettegah with the national service secretariat and the government, an assurance was given by the National service director of an increase in the allowance effective January 2017.
A letter sighted by LegonConnect confirmed an increase in the national service allowance effective January 2017.
The acting Executive Director of the National Service Secretariate (NSS), Dr Michael Kpessah Whyte in an interview said the increment followed series of complaint from service personnel who said the current allowance was woefully and totally inadequate considering their expenses and cost of living.
The National Service Secretariat last month denied withholding allowances of personnel for December 2016 and January 2017. The secretariat, reacting to rumours in sections of the media that it will withhold allowances for December and January, said it will duly pay all personnel on time without delay.
In a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations, Ambrose Entsiwah Jnr., the secretariat said the government has already released funds for the payment of all personnel till the end of December 2016, and has also approved its budget for the year 2017.