Public service ministry drops 59 ghost pensioners from its payroll

Sep 22, 2016

According to a report dated September 9, 2016 from the ministry of finance, the Public Service ministry is among the 34 ministries, universities, hospitals, local governments, and other agencies that had delayed to pay pensioners for the months of July and August.

PIC:Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi

After carrying out a validation exercise, the ministry of Public Service has unearthed 59 ghost pensioners on its payroll.

This was revealed by the ministry's head of Human Resource Management Florence Muhwezi while clarifying on why the ministry had delayed to pay pensioners.

In an exclusive interview with New Vision on Tuesday, the Secretary to the Treasury Keith Muhakanizi expressed disappointment that whereas he had released money for the monthly payment of pension for the months of July and August.

"The entities that have not yet paid pension have a duty to explain to the public why they are causing the suffering of old people who worked for our country," Muhakanizi said.

According to a report dated September 9, 2016 from the ministry of finance, the Public Service ministry is among the 34 ministries, universities, hospitals, local governments, and other agencies that had delayed to pay pensioners for the months of July and August.

"It is because of the validation we exercise that our ministry has delayed to pay. Out of 172 pensioners, we have had to drop 59 whom we could not trace. We have removed them from the payroll," Muhwezi explained.

Asked how much money government has been losing on the ghost pensioners per month, he says it is sh24m which comes to sh288million in a year.

Muhwezi, who has been in the ministry for two months, said they have embarked on investigations about people who have been receiving the money after which they would involve police and the office of IGG to have them prosecuted.

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