CID OFFICERS UNHAPPY OVER CLOTHING ALLOWANCE (PAGE 19, AUGUST 28, 2010)

MEMBERS of the Criminal Investigations Departments (CID) of the Ghana Police Service have expressed reservations about what they described as ‘a drastic reduction in their clothing allowance’ under the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS).
They expressed surprise at the slash in their clothing allowance from last month’s high figure when they were first paid with the new scheme.
They accused the implementers of the scheme of cutting their allowance by more than 150 per cent on their payslips this month (August), with no explanation from the headquarters.
However, a source at the national headquarters of the Ghana Police Service in Accra told the Daily Graphic that the cut became necessary when it was realised that with the introduction of the SSSS, staff at the CID unit were taking far more than their colleagues, with the director of CID earning more than the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The Daily Graphic got hold of some of the payslips before and after the SSSS; those in the inspectorate rank were taking GH¢85.53 for clothing. After the introduction of the single spine, the clothing for the inspectorate rank was increased to GH¢260.89.
“But we were surprised that in the month of August, it has been reduced from GH¢260.89 to GH¢86.96 which is only GH¢1.43p more than before without explanation,” they said.
They said those in the rank of superintendent were taking about GH¢360 for clothing but had been reduced to GH¢150.00, which is only about GH¢2 higher than the previous amount before the introduction of the single spine.
A constable in the service before the single spine got GH¢45.00 but after the introduction in July it went up to GH¢170.00 but decreased again to GH¢58.00 this month.
The source at the police headquarters in Accra said after the computation of the much publicised single spine salary structure, the salary of staff at the CID directorate went up and the salary of the director CID, for example, was allegedly higher than that of the IGP.
It said that prompted the action to slash the clothing allowance of the staff at the CID department.A check at various CID offices in the region confirmed the slash but the staff would not openly comment, indicating that they would rather have wished the situation was explained to them before the action was taken.