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Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has issued a strong warning to public sector officials who deliberately approve payments for individuals who are either ineligible or non-existent on the government payroll.
He emphasised that those found guilty of enabling payroll fraud will be held personally accountable.
In an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show following the presentation of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review, Dr. Forson revealed that recent audits have exposed widespread irregularities within the public sector wage system.
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So far, we’ve found about 14,000 people that we can’t validate. We can’t find them. They may be ghosts. They are across sectors.
In addition to these potential ghost workers, the Finance Minister noted that nearly 53,000 “separated staff,” including individuals who are retired, deceased, dismissed, or otherwise no longer eligible, have been found to still appear on the government’s payroll.
These are people not supposed to be on the payroll,”
He stressed.
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I am waiting for the Auditor-General to provide the final numbers. Not only the Controller [and Accountant-General’s Department]; they all have questions to answer.
Dr. Forson's remarks underscore deep-rooted flaws in Ghana’s payroll validation systems and form part of the government’s broader efforts to reform public financial management and enhance accountability.
He also issued a pointed warning to key public officials such as school heads and hospital administrators who are involved in the staff validation process:
Let me use your medium to send a caution to those who validate ghosts across the economy. You are playing with public funds and may be personally liable for the validations you’ve done over the years.
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If you validate ghosts and knowingly allow someone who is not supposed to be on the payroll to receive public funds, we will hold you responsible
The minister added.
The government remains focused on its broader agenda to “reset” the economy, and payroll reforms are seen as essential to achieving its fiscal and accountability goals.