Payment Vouchers

  1. All payments for services and goods shall be made on officially designed payment vouchers or on such other forms as may be designed by the Director of Finance in consultation with the Director of Internal Audit

  2. The representative of Directorate of Finance authorised to certify vouchers for payment shall see to it that, the correct allocations have been made before vouchers are signed.

Documentation

No payment voucher shall be passed for payment unless it is supported by the necessary documents as follows:

  1. Original Receipts and bills giving evidence that a certain service has been performed or goods received, and that such services were performed exclusively for the University

  2. Original Invoices, Local Purchase Orders, Contract Letters and Stores Receipt Vouchers showing that goods for which payment is being made have been received into stock

  3. Original letters and memoranda from responsible officials who are in charge of votes. All such letters and memoranda shall be approved by responsible officers. In all cases, the above documents shall be attached to the payment vouchers. Where this is not practicable, references to these documents shall be quoted on the payment vouchers

  4. No Payment Voucher supported by photocopies of documents shall be passed for payment.

Certificate of Honour

Where for any valid reason, no receipt is obtained for any payment made to an outside supplier, a declaration shall be attached to the voucher by the payee as follows: “I certify that the above payment was made by me in the interest of the University and that no receipt was obtained”.

The value to be covered by a Certificate of Honour shall not exceedFiftyGhanaCedis(GHC 50.00).

Responsibilities of Officer Certifying Vouchers

The Certifying Officer shall be responsible for ensuring that:

  1. The payee indicated on the voucher is the bona fide person entitled to the amount

  2. Purchased have been inspected by the Directorate of Internal Audit and duly taken on charge, or correctly issued for immediate consumption, if they are consumables

  3. The services specified have been duly performed

  4. The prices or rates charged are either according to contract or approved scales, or are fair and reasonable according to local rates

  5. The computations and additions have been verified and are found to be correct

  6. In the case of salary vouchers, all proper deductions from salaries on account of social security contributions, repayment of advances, superannuation contributions and other liabilities shall have been duly made.

Alteration to Payment Vouchers

An incorrect figure in a document may be amended by ruling a single line through it, in such a way that the original entry may be clearly read, and the correct figure inserted above the original entry and the officer signing or certifying the document shall initial the amended entry.

Approval of Payment Vouchers

The Vice-Chancellor shall approve all payment vouchers in accordance with expenditure threshold determined by the Procurement Act 2003, Act 663 and the University Council from time to time.

Responsibilities of Paying Officer

The Paying Officer shall ensure the following:

  1. That the payee, the amount and the particulars on the vouchers are clearly stated

  2. That the figures of the amount in figures agree with the amount in words stated on the Payment Voucher

  3. The voucher has been certified by a responsible officer and duly passed for payment by the Director of Finance or his/her representative

  4. Payment shall be made only to the person authorised on the voucher. The Paying Officer shall satisfy himself/herself that the person claiming the amount is the person authorised to receive it

  5. That the receipt column of the voucher is duly filled in with the date of payment, the amount received and the signature of the receiver

  6. Vouchers for payments to illiterate person shall bear the payee's marks and/or thumb print and shall be witnessed by a third person known to the paying officer.

Payment to Third Parties

When payment is made to a person other than the one named in a voucher the authority under which this is made shall be attached to the voucher. The authority shall include:

  1. Power of attorney, affidavit or letters of administration

  2. Authority Note to be counter signed by the Director of Finance or his/her representative. In such a case, a valid photocopy of Identification Card of the authorised person should be attached to the Authority Note

  3. In the case of continuous payment to a bank or third party, the authority shall be filed in the Director of Finance’s Office and the paying officer shall refer to any recent instructions before payment is made

  4. In the case of companies and firms, a letter authorising payment may be accepted and such payments shall be made only by crossed cheque in favour of the firm.

Copies of Vouchers

Copies of vouchers shall be clearly marked “duplicate”, “triplicate” where applicable. Payment shall be made only on original vouchers.

Destruction of Vouchers

Audited copies of vouchers, and other similar source documents shall be kept for ten years, after which they may be destroyed unless they are under audit query. Vouchers earmarked for destruction shall be determined by the Director of Finance and the Director of Internal Audit who will then make recommendations to the Finance Committee.

Alteration of Audited Figures

  1. An amendment or adjustment shall not be made to audited figures without the express permission in writing to the Auditor-General or his/her representative

  2. The making of an amendment or adjustment contrary to sub-section (a) is a breach of financial discipline.