Payroll Audit Reveals GHC150m in Irregular Payments, 14,000 Unverifiable Workers

Accra, Ghana – 24 July, 2025 – A nationwide payroll audit has revealed significant irregularities in Ghana's public sector salary administration, including over 14,000 unverifiable workers and 53,307 separated staff still on payroll. The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, disclosed these findings during the presentation of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament.

Key Findings:

- 14,000 Unverifiable Workers: The Ghana Audit Service has been unable to identify or verify more than 14,000 workers, raising concerns about ghost workers on the payroll.

- 53,307 Separated Staff Still on Payroll: Individuals categorized as retired, reassigned, terminated, on leave without pay, or deceased are still receiving salaries, resulting in unearned salaries amounting to GHC150.4 million over the 2023 and 2024 period.

Recovery of Unearned Salaries

The Audit Service expects to recover the GHC150.4 million in unearned salaries from separated staff. Dr. Forson described the findings as alarming and emphasized the need for strict enforcement of payroll validation protocols moving forward.

Future Actions

To prevent such irregularities in the future, the government will:

- Enforce Monthly Payroll Validation: Strictly implement monthly payroll validation to ensure accuracy and transparency.

- Apply Sanctions: Impose sanctions on individuals or institutions that violate the payroll process.

Source :Lead News Online/Emmanuel Kofi Ahadzi