Digital solution to eliminate ‘Ghost names’ on Govt payroll launched

To save the government from paying unearned salaries in the public sector to non-existing employees of the state, Vice President Dr Bawumia has launched a digital solution to eliminate ‘ghost names’ on the government payroll.

The government indicated in December 2023 that public sector employees who do not have Ghana cards or do not link their cards to their data with ministries they work for will not be paid from February 2024.

The digital solution to eliminate ghost names’ on government payroll involves linking the Government of Ghana’s (GoG) National Mechanised Payroll Database of the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) with the National Identification Authority’s (NIA) Database.

This linkage provided real-time biometric validation and verification of applicants decentralised to the various CAGD Verification Centres across the country to ensure more accessibility and convenience.

The system will ensure real-time validation and verification of new and old employees, improve data accuracy for decision-making, enhance transparency and accountability, save the government the huge costs of regular payroll audits across the country since the data can be audited anytime at source, and will operate in decentralised biometric verification centres, saving users the cost of travelling to Accra for validation and verification.

Prior to the new Ghana card registration, the government indicated that ghost names’ on government payroll would be a thing of the past when the Ghana card was introduced and integrated into government systems.

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The government of Ghana payroll is managed as part of the GIFMIX system by receiving HR information through transactions processed by the various HRs of the MDAs on the Oracle HRMIS system in accordance with the PFM Act and regulations.

Some of the transactions undertaken on the system include the recruitment of new entrants and the rehire of separate staff, trainees and interns into established staff, house officers into medical staff, and contract staff as well.

Others are promotion, transfer, deactivation, reactivation, and termination of staff, as may apply.