The nationwide payroll audit has uncovered over 14,000 unverified workers and 53,311 separated staff still drawing government salaries, with the state expecting to recover GH¢150.4 million in unearned payments.

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson revealed this during the presentation of the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament on Thursday.

He disclosed that the Ghana Audit Service, which has completed 91% of the payroll exercise, failed to identify and verify the 14,000 workers currently receiving government salaries. 

Even more troubling, he said, the audit discovered tens of thousands of “separated staff” who have retired, resigned, been terminated, are on leave without pay, or are deceased, yet continue to draw salaries from the state.

“The Audit Service expects to recover GH¢150.4 million of unearned salaries from the separated staff over the 2023 and 2024 period,” he announced, warning that those who validate “ghost workers” across the public service will be personally liable for the loss of public funds. 

He promised to enforce monthly payroll validation processes with strict sanctions going forward.

The Finance Minister also announced that his government has rescued the National Investment Bank from collapse with a GH¢2 billion recapitalization package. 

The indigenous bank had deteriorated to a Capital Adequacy Ratio of negative 53.13% by the end of 2024 under the previous administration. 

“We chose to spend to save a bank than spend to collapse a bank,” he told lawmakers,

According to him, the rescue operation involved injecting GH¢450 million in cash, issuing marketable bonds worth GH¢1.5 billion, and transferring the government’s GH¢500 million stake in Nestle Ghana Ltd to NIB. 

Dr Ato Forson said this intervention has preserved GH¢6.4 billion in depositor funds and saved over 900 direct jobs at the bank, which now maintains a Capital Adequacy Ratio of 23% and total paid-up capital of GH¢3.4 billion.

“NIB is back! NIB is now liquid! NIB is now safe! NIB is now fully capitalized!” Forson declared, encouraging all Ghanaians to do business with the revitalized bank.

On a more positive note for ordinary Ghanaians, the Finance Minister painted a picture of dramatically reduced prices across markets nationwide. 

Richard Aniagyei, ISD