CAGD Vows to Clamp Down On Financial Institutions ... for Sending Unsolicited Messages to Employees

THE Controller and Accountant General's Department (CAGD) says it will henceforth blacklist and publish the names of any financial institution or its agents, who send unsolicited messages to employees on government payroll.

The Department reminded such third party institutions that it was illegal and an affront to the Data Protection Act for any entity or persons to send unsolicited messages to people they had no business transaction with.

"Financial institutions and their agents or assigns are advised to desist henceforth, from engaging in the issuance of unsolicited messages to civil and public servants on GOG payroll," a statement issued by the acting Controller and Accountant General, Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, in Accra, yesterday, said.

It said the CAGD had, for some time now, received several complaints from government employees, civil society organisations and the Data Protection Commission on the issuance of unsolicited messages.

The statement said the financial institutions and or their agents through the messages, solicited and encouraged recipients to obtain loans and other financial facilities from them.

According to the statement, in spite of numerous meetings with, and warnings from the department to the third party institutions, the practice was rather occurring on a larger scale daily hence the CACG's intended action.

"While taking step to protect its data sources, CAGD states categorically that it is in no way responsible for the issuance of such unsolicited messages to workers of the state and will severely deal with any person caught in this practice," it said.

CAGD advised public and civil servants who were interested in obtaining loans or financial facility to deal directly with the third party institution of their choice.

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