By Hou Akot Hou
Authorities in Northern Bahr El Ghazal state (NBGs) have launched the issuance of financial identification cards (IDs) for government employees, aiming to combat the issue of “ghost names” on the payroll.
NBGs Governor Tong Aken Ngor announced the program on Monday during a meeting with public service ministry workers.
“This will help us identify and eliminate ghost names from our payroll system,” he emphasized the importance of the IDs.
The governor’s address acknowledged the presence of individuals using fake names, including “names of trees and even cows,” to fraudulently collect salaries.
He stressed that complying with the president’s recent directive and obtaining the financial ID cards is mandatory for all government employees.
“The widespread practice of using fake names to receive salaries is unacceptable,” Governor Ngor declared.
“These IDs are crucial to ending this issue and ensuring transparency in our system” he added.
According to state authorities, the rollout will begin within Aweil Town ministries before expanding to counties.
The governor clarified that the IDs will cost 4,000 South Sudanese pounds per employee and will be issued upon completion of the production process.
However, the announcement was met with criticism from some who expressed concern about the delayed salary payments.
With salaries outstanding for over five months, some citizens and government employees alleged the ID scheme is another tactic to divert funds for other purposes.
Governor Ngor however assured the public that salaries would be issued once the ID production is complete.
He urged for cooperation and understanding, emphasizing the initiative’s long-term benefits for a more efficient and transparent public service system.