Minister of Finance Margaret Mwanakatwe has directed that ghost and absentee workers be eliminated from Government’s payroll.

She has tasked Accountant General Dick Sichembe and controller of internal audit Joyce Sundano to work with Cabinet Office and other relevant institutions to “ensure that the entire payroll is cleaned up”.

Mrs Mwankatwe said Government only needs to pay deserving workers. In a statement released yesterday by Ministry of Finance spokesperson Chileshe Kandeta, Government released K1.8 billion to pay civil servants. “This helped to attain the timely payment of January 2019 salaries for various public service workers, including teaching, medical and security personnel,” she said.

The minister said K5.7 billion was released in January to finance and facilitate public service delivery in various ministries, provinces and other controlling agencies. She said of the K5.7 billion, K713.8 million went towards support to institutions, subsidies and general operations.

Mrs Mwanakatwe said public health institutions got K50 million for procurement of drugs and other medical supplies. “K116.4 million was released to support operations of other public entities and quasi-government institutions,” she said