By: B. Augustine Kollie
The Internal Audit Agency of Liberia has identified seven hundred fifty ghost names on the payroll of the Ministry of Health and the Government is expected to save about 1.7 million United States Dollars from the exercise.
IAA Director General Emmanuel Barthen Nyenswa said, the discovery of the ghost names follows a robust audit of the Health Ministry’s payroll, which affected every health facility throughout the country.
According to Director Nyeswa, about 2,495 purpoted health workers were not seen nor accounted for by the heath ministry, after the audit.
He said the IAA and the Health Ministry have agreed to delete from the Government’s payroll 750 of the 2,495 names unaccounted for, beginning this march, while the remaining 1,745 will be subjected to further probe and review to ensure their authenticity.
He was addressing the Ministry of Information weekly regular press briefing in Monrovia, Friday.
IAA Director General says the audit report showed that the 750 ghost names cost the Liberia Government eighty two million one hundred thirty thousand, two hundred twenty Liberia Dollars in Basic Salary and One Million seventy-Eight Thousand,Eight Hundred United Sates Dollars in general allowances annually.
Addressing the Ministry of Information regular weekly press briefing Friday, Finance and Development Planning Minster Samuel Tweh lauded the IAA and Director General Nyeswa for the leadership that resulted to the discovery and subsequent saving of 1.7 million United states dollars.
Minister Tweh said the money will be directed to other priority areas to facilitate the Government’s pro-poor agenda.
Source: Internal Audit Agency
