Employers who recruit staff without valid National Service certificates could face sanctions, the National Service Authority (NSA) has warned, as it intensifies efforts to enforce compliance in both the public and private sectors.

Deputy Director General in charge of Operations, Lieutenant Colonel Moses Dok Nach Kpeungu, issued the warning during an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, where he stressed that employing persons who have not fulfilled the mandatory national service requirement is a punishable offence under Ghanaian law.

“It is an offence, or it’s a crime to employ somebody without a national service certificate,” he stated.

His comments come amid renewed efforts by the Authority to tighten oversight of the national service scheme, which has for years faced criticism over ghost names, payroll fraud and weak enforcement of placement rules.

Lt. Col. Kpeungu, however, said the Authority’s immediate focus is not prosecution, but education and compliance.

According to him, many employers and workers may not fully understand the legal requirement to present a valid certificate before being hired. As a result, the NSA is engaging institutions and giving them time to regularise the status of affected employees.

“We are not saying dismiss them from your institution, but we need to regularise it,” he explained.

He added that employers with staff whose records are not in order should contact the Authority so the matter can be resolved administratively before punitive steps are considered.

National service remains a mandatory one-year programme for many graduates from accredited tertiary institutions in Ghana and is often required before permanent employment in several sectors.