The Gambia’s Information Minister Demba Ali Jawo on Wednesday has announced that salaries of at least 3,146 absentee workers have been stopped since June 2017. The move is part of an exercise initiated by the new regime to clean up ghost workers from government payroll.
“The main objectives of the exercise were to reduce the wage bill by identifying and eliminating potential “ghost workers” from the payroll, recover wrongful salary payments and as well, update the personnel records of civil servants and security agencies,” Minister Jawo told reporters during a presser held at GRTS building in Kanifing, about 7km away from the Gambian capital Banjul.
An audit of the civil service, started from March to May 31, 2017, was spearheaded by the Personnel Management Office in collaboration with the International Financing Management Systems II Project. It is expected to eliminate ghost workers, contain fraud and allow authorities to have a clear picture of the government staff.
Minister Jawo said the audit has revealed a wide spectrum of malpractices, resulting to a total payment of D10, 445,612 (ten million, four hundred and forty five thousand, six hundred and twelve dalasis per month and 125,347,346.76 (one hundred and twenty five million, three hundred and forty seven thousand, three hundred and forty six dalasis and seventy six bututs) yearly.
As a sizeable amount of money was involved in the payroll fraud, its
consequences have been disastrous for the public service. These corrupt practices were also extended to another level due to fraudulent claims and expenses for employees who were seconded or
transferred.
Minister Jawo added that a total of 125,612.8 (one hundred and twenty four thousand, six hundred and twelve dalasi and twenty eight bututs) were spent in these categories, leaving an outstanding balance of 79,901.71 (seventy nine thousand, nine hundred and one dalasis and seventy one butut).
Abdoulie John
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