Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has revealed findings from a nationwide payroll audit, disclosing that more than 67,000 irregular salary entries have been detected on Ghana’s public sector payroll.
During the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review, Dr. Forson said the audit, conducted by the Ghana Audit Service and commissioned by the Ministry of Finance has so far verified 91% of payroll data across all 16 regions.
According to the minister, the audit identified over 14,000 workers whose employment status could not be verified, raising questions about potential payroll fraud and administrative lapses.
More alarming, he said, was the discovery that 53,307 individuals who are no longer in active service, including retirees, deceased persons, those on leave without pay, and staff who have been terminated or reassigned, are still drawing salaries from the government’s payroll.
“These findings are deeply concerning. The Audit Service estimates that a minimum of GH¢150.4 million in unearned salaries was paid to separated staff over just the 2023 and 2024 period,” Dr. Forson said.
He described the situation as a clear breach of public financial management rules and called for urgent action to close payroll loopholes.
“As part of corrective measures, the government will strictly enforce the monthly payroll validation system and apply sanctions to any individual or institution that flouts established procedures,” he said.
Dr. Forson stressed that a clean and credible payroll system is essential to restoring fiscal discipline and protecting scarce public resources.
The Finance Ministry’s collaboration with the Ghana Audit Service is part of broader efforts to enhance accountability, reduce waste, and ensure value for money in the public sector wage bill, which remains one of the largest components of government expenditure.
With the audit nearing completion, the minister said efforts are now underway to recover the unearned salaries and to strengthen payroll controls across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“This is just the beginning. We will pursue every cedi lost and hold those responsible to account,” he said.
