A major payroll audit led by the Auditor-General has uncovered a troubling prevalence of ghost workers on Ghana’s public sector payroll, Finance Minister Dr. Ato Forson revealed during high-level talks with tertiary education unions.
Preliminary findings from the ongoing exercise indicate significant irregularities that, if resolved, could free up substantial public funds.
“Preliminary findings indicate a significant presence of ghost names on the payroll, a situation that, if addressed decisively, could yield substantial savings for the public purse,” Forson shared after meeting with leaders of UTAG, TUTAG, and CETAG.
The Minister urged the academic unions to back the cleanup exercise, framing it as essential to both fiscal discipline and ethical governance.
“Cleaning the payroll is not only about fiscal prudence; it is also about restoring integrity and fairness in public sector compensation.”
The disclosure came during broader discussions about public sector reforms, where Forson emphasised the government’s commitment to “building a sustainable, equitable, and accountable public service.”
The audit forms part of wider efforts to streamline government expenditure amid economic challenges, with education sector payrolls being a key focus due to their complexity and history of anomalies.
