• The money that has been reported is a huge amount.
• If put to good use, it would pay for the many services that people need on the ground.
• People should be held accountable for authorizing payments.
Alliance for Accountability Advocate Zambia has urged government to act on public officers involved in paying ghost workers as recently revealed in the Auditor General’s report.
Alliance Executive Director Luchembe Chilufya told Money FM News in an interview that people should be held accountable for authorizing payments to people that they are not sure whether they exit or not, as some ghost workers have been getting paid for over five years.
Mr. Chilufya noted that the amount of money that has been reported is huge and if put to good use, it would pay for the many services that people need on the ground such as providing quality health to citizens.
“We are worried and concerned with the Auditor General’s report especially with the aspect of the ghost workers that most of the Ministries have been spending money on. It’s on the aspect of lack of not providing specific services that are required when we are paying ghost workers.”
“The amount of money that has been reported is a huge amount of money that if put to good use, would pay for the many services that people need on the ground. For example, providing quality health to people that are in need of such services,” Mr. Chilufya stated.
He stressed the need to hold perpetrators accountable and take them to task because the money involved belongs to tax payers.
“ It’s really worrisome and we want to call upon government not to just let this information go without finding the people that are involved in paying ghost workers because government does not pay on a table, they pay using an account. People should be held accountable for authorizing payments to people that they are not sure or they don’t know whether they exit or not for someone to be getting paid for over five years.”
“There is need to hold people accountable and take them to task because these are national resources, tax payers’ money so there must be accountability to these resources,” he added.
Recently, Auditor General Dr. Dick Sichembe revealed that 9, 800 ghost workers were paid over totaling K707, 633,806 between 2017 and 2021 from 19 different government ministries.
Dr. Sichembe also revealed that 539 teachers had their salaries changed to a higher position without authority from Teaching Service Commission, resulting in excess salary payments totaling K2, 541, 327.
