The flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has revealed that about forty-four thousand ghost names were discovered on the National Service Scheme payroll between 2022 and 2024.
The Vice President explains that this discovery is the result of the introduction of the Ghana card, which serves as an integration of the databases.
Addressing Ghanaians on his vision, he disclosed that the system has helped save a total of GHC 356 million concerning the National Service Scheme.
He added that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) has suspended payment of GHC 480 million to 29,000 ghost pensioners with the help of the Ghana card.
The digitalization of identification cards, particularly the Ghana card, he believes, finally solved some longstanding problems of ghost workers on the government payroll.
“Furthermore, with oversight from my office, the SSNIT, NHIS, GRA, Passport, CAGD payroll, DVLA, SIM card, Bank account, etc., have been linked to the NIA database. Today your SSNIT number is your Ghana card number, your NHIS number is your Ghana card number, your TIN number is your Ghana card number, etc.
The integration of the databases is allowing us to successfully weed out ghost workers on the payroll. A biometric audit of the National Service Scheme payroll alone found 44,707 ghost workers and potential ghost workers between 2022 to 2024. This has saved Ghana a total of GHC 356 million.
Also, SSNIT has suspended payment of GHC 480 million to 29,000 ghost pensioners using the Ghana card. We have also integrated the CAGD payroll database with the NIA database to eliminate ghost workers on the government payroll.”
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