Ghana’s Auditor General threatens to halt payment of over 10,000 government employees, here’s why

This follows a payroll audit the department conducted.

According to the department, it has uncovered that over 10,000 employees have either no justification or sufficient information to continue drawing salaries from the public purse.

It has therefore asked the affected employees to make themselves available for enumeration from January 28 to February 11, 2020, at the Audit-Service Headquarters (Payroll Audit Branch), Accra to avoid disallowance and surcharge.

The department contained this in a press statement which was signed by the Deputy Auditor-General of the Central Government Audit Department, Mr George Swanzy Winful.

The statement said, “Notice is hereby given that, the Auditor-General intends to disallow the continuous existence of all un-accounted for employees on the payroll and surcharge the amounts involves against heads of departments, heads of the management units and the persons involved.”

The affected persons, the report said, are required to carry with them to the Audit Service Headquarters Biometric Registration Form, SSNIT Biometric Card, Payslip, Appointment Letter, Recent Promotion or Upgrade Letter, all academic certificates and at least two National Identity Cards (Voters ID, Passport, Driver’s License, and the National Health Insurance Scheme).

Additionally, they are to provide approval letter for study leave with pay or without pay, gazette or affidavit for change of name, contract renewal letters for pupil teachers or contract employees and any other relevant documents relating to their employment.

The statement warned that “failure to honour this final invitation will result in the Auditor-General exercising his powers under Article-187(7) to disallow the existence and surcharge such persons on the payroll.