Over tax, pension, national housing fund
From Taiwo Amodu and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Workers at the Federal Ministry of Information and a few other ministries last month experienced a pay cut over tax, pension, and National Housing Fund (NHF), which are now applied on gross salary. Some of the workers had about 50 per cent pay cut, while others had only 10 per cent cut.
Some workers in the information ministry, who declined to be named, told Daily Sun that they had no fore knowledge of the salary cut until the memo came.
In a November 30, 2016 memo, entitled: “Reduction in November 2016”
And signed by head of finance of one of the affected agencies in the Ministry of Information, informed the staff thus: “Advisory from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) revealed a drastic reduction in the net pay of the staff for the month of November 2016.
“We discovered that the reasons for the reduction are stated below: Tax, pension, National Housing Fund (NHF), formerly based on consolidated, is now applied on gross salary.
“All members of staff should please take note as the net pay, to be removed for the month of November 2016, has been grossly affected by the factors stated above.”
Workers, however, kicked over what they described as huge deductions on their salaries “without any warning.”
The workers have appealed to the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, to urgently step in and address the issue.
Contacted last night, Assistant Director of Press, in the Office of the Head of Service, Mohammed Manga, told Daily Sun: “I don’t work in the Federal Ministry of Information.
“Please, ask the head of media in that office or in the Ministry of Finance. I don’t deal with salary issues; that’s not my jurisdiction.”