The Office of the Auditor General has kicked off the head count exercise to validate of all the staff of the Uganda Prison Service.
Samuel Akena, the Deputy Commissioner General of Uganda Prisons Services, said on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, that the exercise was launched on Monday, May 22nd, 2023, at the Prisons Headquarters.
“All Prison’s staff must physically present their original national identity card, original work identity card (PF 17A), initial appointment letters and posting instructions, letters of promotion, and name change documents (if possible) when appearing for verification,” said Prison’s spokesperson Frank Baine.
The audit, which commenced in April 2023, will identify the factors affecting the credibility and efficiency of the Government of Uganda’s wage, pension, and gratuity management processes and propose corrective actions.
Ramathan Ggoobi, permanent secretary of the Finance Ministry and secretary to the Treasury (PSST), stated that all civil servants will be required to appear in person for substantiation by the Auditor General as part of an ongoing payroll audit.
He insists that those who do not appear for the head count will no longer be considered government employees. As such, they will not receive payments beginning in July 2023.
He added that the Ministry of Finance will use the results of this exercise to determine how much each government entity should receive each month for the purpose of paying salaries.
This is the first time in contemporary Uganda that such a comprehensive payroll audit has been conducted across all ministries, local governments, departments, and agencies.
The apparently drastic action is part of a joint endeavor with the Ministry of Public Service to eradicate the persistent problem of salary and wage budget shortfalls.
