Ghana suspends 26,000 workers' salaries in bid to clear 'ghost workers'

Ghana’s Ministry of Finance has suspended the salaries of about 26,000 public sector workers.

This is part of a drive to clean up government payrolls and fight corruption, although local media report that some real employees with clean records have been affected by the swoop.

The country’s treasury had said in a statement last week it had directed that the April salaries of 26,589 workers be suspended for failing to comply with a directive asking them to register with the biometric system of the country’s social security fund, SSNIT.

The Ministry has however assured that workers whose salaries may have been mistakenly blocked would be rectified and paid on the 15th of May.

This crackdown follows a payroll audit conducted by the finance ministry, which was welcomed by President Nana-Akuffo-Addo , who said that ghost workers were costing his government over USD 103 million a year.