Government has removed more than 67,000 ghost names from the public sector payroll through an ongoing payroll reform programme, saving the state millions of cedis in the process, the Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem has disclosed.
Speaking at the 2026 Controller and Accountant-General’s Department Retreat in Koforidua, the Deputy Minister said the exercise was part of broader efforts to restore discipline in the management of public finances and ensure that government funds are directed toward national development priorities.
He explained that the payroll clean-up was initiated after reviews uncovered irregularities, unverifiable records and duplicated entries across sections of the public sector salary system.
According to him, those anomalies had over the years placed unnecessary pressure on the national wage bill and diverted resources that could have been invested in critical sectors of the economy.
He said government responded by introducing stricter verification processes, biometric validation, data reconciliation and stronger monitoring mechanisms to identify and remove ineligible names from the payroll.
“Our payroll reforms have eliminated over 67,000 ghost names. This has saved government millions of cedis and ensured that public resources are used for their intended purpose,” the Deputy Minister stated.
Mr. Nyarko Ampem noted that the savings realised from the exercise would create additional fiscal space for investment in education, healthcare, infrastructure and other essential services.
The Deputy Minister stressed that the reforms were not only about cost savings, but also about promoting integrity, fairness and transparency within the public sector compensation system.
He said with a cleaner payroll database, government now has more accurate information for planning recruitment, budgeting for salaries and managing the public workforce efficiently.
He further disclosed that stronger safeguards had been introduced to prevent the return of ghost names onto the payroll.
These measures, he said, include regular audits, tighter approval systems for new recruits, closer institutional collaboration and the use of digital tools to detect suspicious entries.
“We are building a system where only genuine workers receive salaries. Public funds must serve the people, not fraudulent schemes,” he added.
The Deputy Minister indicated that similar reforms had also been extended to other state-supported payment systems where irregularities had previously been identified.
He commended public institutions that cooperated with the verification exercise and said their collaboration had helped government achieve meaningful results within a relatively short period.
He assured legitimate public sector workers that the reforms were designed to strengthen the system and protect their interests by ensuring prompt and accurate salary payments.
According to him, government remains committed to deepening reforms that improve efficiency, reduce waste and strengthen confidence in public institutions.
He said the successful removal of thousands of ghost names demonstrates that with proper oversight and strong systems, significant savings can be made to support national development.