The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) has issued a final warning to public sector employees to verify their Ghana Card details by March 15, 2026, or risk suspension of their salaries.
The directive, contained in a high-priority memo dated February 11, 2026, follows the rollout of a new e-Payslip platform integrated with the database of the National Identification Authority (NIA).
According to the CAGD, the upgraded system flagged critical data discrepancies after NIA numbers captured on the government payroll failed to match official biometric records. The Department said the inconsistencies have prevented some employees from accessing their payslips and raised concerns about entries on the payroll not linked to verified biometric identities.
The exercise forms part of broader public financial management reforms aimed at eliminating “ghost names” and ensuring that salaries are paid only to verified workers.
The CAGD has directed Human Resource Departments of all covered entities to begin immediate reconciliation. The directive affects staff of the Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana National Fire Service, Electoral Commission of Ghana, as well as personnel within the Judicial and Audit Services.
The Department noted that similar payroll audits have recently led to the suspension of 2,563 workers who failed to participate in a nationwide headcount in January 2026. In late 2025, the National Service Authority removed more than 8,000 ghost names from its payroll, preventing significant financial losses.
To regularise their records, affected employees are required to log onto the government payroll platform using their NIA number. Those unable to access their payslips must submit a copy of their Ghana Card, employee number and a formal request for data correction to their respective HR departments for onward transmission to the CAGD.
The Department warned that failure to complete the verification process by the deadline will result in automatic suspension from the mechanised payroll until discrepancies are resolved.
