Monrovia – The Civil Service Agency (CSA) of Liberia has announced uncovering of 687 ghost employees on government payroll, a discovery poised to save the national government approximately $2.6 million annually.
This significant finding, under the leadership of CSA Director Josiah Joekai, spans across four key spending entities.
President Joseph Boakai commended the CSA for their diligent work, highlighting that the removal of ghost employees and double dippers from the payroll will pave the way for salary improvements for genuine civil servants.
“This initiative will ensure that our resources are used effectively, benefitting those who genuinely serve the public,” Boakai stated.
The CSA Boss also took the opportunity to criticize the previous administration for its employment of over 1,000 consultants by this time last year, suggesting that such practices were detrimental to the country’s financial health.
The CSA’s findings represent a pivotal move towards streamlining government expenditures and ensuring the correct allocation of payroll funds.
The agency’s actions underscore a commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility within the public sector, setting a precedent for future governance.
This revelation is expected to resonate positively with the public, reinforcing trust in the government’s ability to manage its finances prudently and prioritize the welfare of its civil servants.
In early June of this year, the CSA Boss announced that the agency was going to save from spending over US$ 117.000.00 monthly and over US$ 488 annually.
The CSA Boss alleged financial leakages carried out by Human Resources Directors and Financial Controllers.
The CSA Boss further submitted those names to the ministry of Justice Ministry for onward investigation.
This according to the CSA, is part of personal verification and headcount audit of the payroll of all spending institutions of government.
The latest pronouncement is not the first as the Civil Service Agency (CSA) recently announced additional removal of 412 ghost names from the government payroll, resulting in savings of over one million USD.
The revelation was made during a special press briefing held by the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism on Wednesday.
CSA Director-General Josiah Joekai stated that the ghost names were identified and verified by the agency’s technical team.
He sated that the investigation aimed to independently confirm the existence of ghost employees reflecting names of individuals listed on the payroll but not actually working for the government.
The audit uncovered significant discrepancies across several government entities including 28 ghost employees at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Liberia National Police: 98 ghost employees, Liberia Land Authority: 41 ghost employees, Ministry of Mines and Energy: 57 ghost employees and Civil Service Agency: 29 ghost employees
The fraudulent salaries, totaling over one million USD, have since been redirected to the government’s account.
CSA’s Boss Josiah Joekai reiterated his institution’s commitment to ongoing reform at the CSA.
He announced that individuals identified in the audit will not receive salaries starting in April.
He added that they are required to participate in a one-month verification process, failing which their names will be permanently removed from the payroll by May 2024.
The audit also revealed a broader issue of payroll fraud.
Of the employees audited, 9,287, representing 13.7% of employee records across 91 spending entities were not available for physical verification.
By G. Watson Richards
