Ghost workers’ salaries still floating – PMO

The Permanent Secretary, Personnel Management Office (PMO), Mr. Pateh Jah has disclosed that preliminary findings of a civil service staff auditing has revealed that there are ghost workers whose salaries are still floating.
Mr Jah was speaking during a meeting between the Public Service Commission and President Barrow at State House.
He further said the development agenda of the new government includes institutional reforms and to conduct such reforms there was a need to embark on a nationwide staff audit exercise to inform the process on the way forward with the reforms.
“The staff audit exercise has been done, and we are now analysing the findings to allow the relevant authorities execute the necessary actions. But with regards to the preliminary findings, some of the issues are ghost workers whose salaries are still floating,” he said.
The Permanent secretary also observed that the system should be strengthened and that the general observations indicate that some staff do not have the requisite resources to do their job and to respond to the call to improve service delivery.
In response, President Barrow asserted that the fight for change was motivated by the need to promote democracy, fair play and to establish a transparent and accountable system in the Civil Service. “I am seriously disappointed about the low salary scale in the public sector compared to the private sector. But despite the fact that we inherited a difficult situation, my government’s priority is to stabilise the system and cut costs,” he said.
The President further revealed that it was discovered that while the former government was borrowing from the private banks to pay salaries, a lot of money went into private pockets and not government coffers.
He commended the the PSC for a job well done, adding that “without the technocrats the politicians will not succeed.”
The Chairman of the PSC Mr. Bright said their visit was to brief the President about the Commission’s activities and to congratulate him on his victory, as well as wished the President best of luck in his tenure in office.
The PSC chairman said they discussed issues of appointments, promotions, training and disciplinary measures in the Civil Service.