Personnel of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department will over the next three months do a head count of staff in the major ministries such as Health, Education and Local Government as part of investigations into distortions in government payroll. The Finance Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu has in recent times been complaining about the dangers bloated government payrolls pose to the health of the economy. The Controller and Accountant General, Mr. Christian Sottie has said of the 19 trillion cedis budgeted for wages and salaries this year, 11 trillion cedis (about sixty percent) was spent in the first half of the year. Christian Sottie believes unplanned adjustment in public sector wages account partly for the hike, but there is no explanation for the higher than expected hike. Mr Sottie told JOY News that other government agencies will also be vetted in the course of the year. In an interview with JOY News’ Israel Laryea, Mr. Sottie cautioned that the payroll could be overrun by three trillion cedis if nothing is done to curb the excess expenditure.