The phenomenon of “ghost names” on Ghana’s public payroll remains one of the most enduring leakages in the country’s public financial management system. Despite successive reforms, biometric payroll validations, and periodic audits, the state continues to lose substantial public funds to salaries paid to deceased, fictitious, or ineligible persons.
These losses undermine fiscal discipline, distort wage bill planning, and erode public confidence in governance.
Ghost names persist largely because Ghana’s payroll architecture, though improved, still suffers from fragmentation of data systems, weak inter agency interoperability, and delayed verification of life events particularly deaths. While Ghana has made notable progress with the introduction of the Ghana Card as a unique national identifier, the absence of a fully centralized and automated birth-and-death verification mechanism linked directly to payroll systems continues to create loopholes.
This article argues that the eradication of ghost names requires deep data centralization, anchored in existing laws and policies, and reinforced by a compulsory, automated death certification system linked to the Ghana Card and all Government of Ghana (GoG) payroll related databases.
Legal and Policy Foundations for Payroll Data Centralization in Ghana
Ghana already possesses a strong legal and policy framework capable of supporting a centralized, automated payroll verification regime. What remains is decisive implementation and institutional integration.
Key among these frameworks are:
The 1992 Constitution of Ghana, which mandates accountability, prudent use of public resources, and transparency in public administration.
The Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), which requires effective control of public expenditure and protection of public funds.
The National Identification Authority Act, 2006 (Act 707), as amended, which establishes the Ghana Card as the primary national identification document.
The Births and Deaths Registry Act, 1965 (Act 301), which mandates the registration of all births and deaths in Ghana.
The Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843), which provides safeguards for the lawful processing and sharing of personal data.
The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) payroll management mandate, including the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD).
These laws collectively provide sufficient authority for government to centralize identity, life event, and payroll data under a unified verification architecture without the need for entirely new legislation, but rather through enhanced regulation, digital integration, and enforcement.
Why Ghost Names Persist Despite Existing Reforms
Several factors explain why ghost names continue to reappear on Ghana’s payroll:
1.Delayed or Non-Registration of Deaths
Many deaths, especially in rural communities, are either registered late or not registered at all with the Births and Deaths Registry, allowing deceased persons to remain “alive” in payroll systems.
2.Disconnection Between Databases
The Births and Deaths Registry, NIA, CAGD, SSNIT, and sector payroll systems often operate in silos, relying on manual notifications rather than real-time data exchange.
3.Human Discretion and Manipulation
Where verification depends on periodic audits or human reporting, opportunities arise for collusion, concealment, and delay.
4.Lack of a Single Authoritative Death Verification Trigger
There is no automated event that immediately deactivates a person’s payroll eligibility upon confirmed death.
These weaknesses demonstrate that biometric registration alone is insufficient unless coupled with continuous life status verification.
Introducing a Compulsory Automated Death Certification System
To decisively eliminate ghost names, Ghana must institutionalize a compulsory automated death certification system anchored to the Ghana Card.
Core Features of the System
Ghana Card Based Death Certification
Every death must be certified using the deceased person’s Ghana Card number.
Health facilities, traditional authorities, and accredited mortuaries would be mandated to initiate death certification digitally.
For deaths outside health facilities, designated district officers and registrars would validate and upload data.
Automated Data Grant Number
Once a death is certified, the system automatically generates a unique data grant number.
This number becomes the sole official reference for all death related processes.
Integration with the Births and Deaths Registry
The certification feeds directly into a digitized national Birth and Deaths Database, eliminating manual duplication.
Linkage to the Ghost Check Database
The death record is simultaneously pushed to a centralized Ghost Check Database, accessible to:
CAGD and IPPD
SSNIT
Public Service Commission
National Pension Regulatory Authority
Relevant MDAs and MMDAs
Automatic Payroll Deactivation
Upon confirmation, the system triggers an automatic payroll suspension for any public-sector worker linked to the deceased Ghana Card number.
This removes discretion and delay from the process.
BENEFITS TO FAMILIES AND THE STATE
Benefits to Families
The generated death certification code can be printed and used by families to:
Process pension and gratuity claims
Access insurance benefits
Handle estate administration
Support funeral-related documentation
This simplifies processes and reduces exploitation by middlemen.
Benefits to the State
Immediate removal of deceased persons from payroll
Significant reduction in wage bill leakages
Reliable real-time workforce data
Improved fiscal planning and budget credibility
WHY THIS SYSTEM WILL WORK
- It Builds on Existing Infrastructure
Ghana already has:
The Ghana Card system
IPPD payroll architecture
Digital financial platforms
Legal authority under Acts 301, 707, 843, and 921
The reform focuses on integration, not reinvention. - It Minimizes Human Interference
Automation eliminates delays caused by negligence, corruption, or collusion. Once a death is certified, payroll action is automatic. - It Strengthens Accountability
Each certification is traceable to an authorized officer or institution, creating audit trails and deterring false reporting. - It Respects Data Protection Standards
Under the Data Protection Act, data sharing would be limited to lawful purposes, with role-based access and encryption safeguards.
INSTITUTIONAL ROLES AND COORDINATION
For successful implementation:
National Identification Authority (NIA)
Maintains Ghana Card identity integrity.
Births and Deaths Registry
Serves as the authoritative life-event registrar.
Controller and
Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD)
Enforces automated payroll actions.
Ministry of Finance
Provides policy oversight and ensures fiscal alignment.
Local Government Authorities
Ensure community-level compliance and reporting.
ASSURANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY
The sustainability of this system lies in its legal enforceability, technological automation, and citizen incentives. Families benefit directly from proper certification, while institutions are legally bound to comply. Over time, this creates a culture where non registration of deaths becomes both impractical and costly.
Conclusion
Eradicating ghost names from Ghana’s payroll system is not merely a technical exercise; it is a governance imperative. Through data centralization, compulsory Ghana Card based death certification, and automated payroll controls, Ghana can finally close one of the most persistent leakages in its public finance system.
This reform aligns squarely with Ghana’s constitutional values, public financial management laws, and digital transformation agenda. By ensuring that the dead are officially recorded as such promptly, accurately, and automatically the living are protected, public resources are preserved, and confidence in state institutions is restored.
True payroll integrity begins where data integrity is non-negotiable.
