The monitoring of the public sector payroll in 120 institutions saved Ghana GH¢345 million in 2023, according to Employment, Labour Relations, and Pensions Minister Ignatius Baffour-Awuah.

Announcing the savings at a press briefing organised by the Ministry of Information in Accra, Baffour Awuah said the exercise cut down the wage bill and ensured more transparency in the payment processes in the public sector.

Answering questions from journalists at the briefing, the Chief Executive of the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission, Benjamin Arthur, said the exercise, which was meant to ensure that public sector employees received accurate salaries, allowances, and benefits; also uncovered several anomalies.

Through the implementation process, he noted that 'ghost' workers were eliminated.

"Overall, the payroll monitoring exercise has contributed to a more efficient, transparent, and accountable public sector payroll management system," he said.

As part of efforts to eliminate fictitious entries in the public sector, Mr Kwasi Kwaning-Bosompem, the Controller and Accountant General, announced in February 2024 that his office was poised to expunge the names of individuals who have not linked their Ghana card to the payroll system.

Addressing the annual conference of the Controller and Accountant-General's Department in Kumasi, Kwaning-Bosompem stressed the importance of adopting innovative approaches to manage public finances for a trustworthy payroll system.

He underscored the implementation of a two-year initiative urging individuals on the payroll to link their National Identification Authority (NIA) number to the payroll database.

"If you don't have an NIA card, very soon, your pay will be disconnected," he cautioned, emphasising that even if the NIA card is missing, the individual's number remains on the database. Verification can be conducted, and individuals may be invited for physical validation if doubts arise".