TEMA, Ghana, 21 March: The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour, Abraham Koomson, has cautioned that Ghana’s rising public sector wage bill will continue to consume a significant portion of government revenue unless urgent steps are taken to clean up the payroll system.
According to him, a substantial portion of the wage bill does not reflect legitimate payments to workers, pointing to the persistent issue of “ghost names” on the government payroll.
He therefore called for sustained and decisive action by government to eliminate ghost workers and strengthen payroll controls to improve efficiency and accountability.
His comments come on the back of concerns raised at a high-level meeting between President John Dramani Mahama and Organised Labour, where the Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, highlighted the growing burden of the wage bill on the country’s finances.
Dr. Forson disclosed that Ghana spent approximately 44 percent of its total tax revenue on public sector wages in 2025 far above the 35 percent threshold recommended by ECOWAS a situation he described as a major strain on the country’s fiscal space.
Speaking on Ahotor FM’s Yepe Ahunu programme on Saturday, March 21, Mr. Koomson reiterated that the current wage bill is unsustainably high.
He warned that without aggressive efforts to purge ghost workers and control the growth of wages and allowances, the wage bill will continue to dominate government expenditure, leaving little room for critical development projects.
The GFL Secretary-General also expressed concern about low productivity levels within the public sector, urging the government to implement effective measures to improve worker output and efficiency.
President Mahama held talks with Organised Labour on Tuesday, March 17, as part of efforts to deepen engagement and promote transparency in governance.
Mr. Koomson commended the President for the meeting, noting that it reflects the government’s willingness to openly engage workers and keep them informed about the state of the economy and policy direction.
LISTEN TO ABRAHAM KOOMSON IN THE AUDIO BELOW:
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/Ahotoronline.com | Ghana 🇬🇭