The use of biometrics to identify ‘ghosts’ receiving fraudulent payments in Africa continues, with Zimbabwe excising at least 10,000 ghost workers from the public payroll and a program launched in Nigeria to enable pensioners to verify their eligibility for social assistance remotely with biometrics.
Zimbabwe’s Public Service Commission (PSC) says a World Bank-assisted exercise to bring order to the civil service payroll was successful, Zimbabwe’s The Herald reports. Moses Mhike, PSC head of human capital development and management, said the operation is ongoing.
“We conducted a biometric exercise to get the data of all civil servants and comparing with the Registrar’s office,” Mhike stated during a workshop for the PSC and multiple other government bodies. “We realised that about 10 000 were not biometric compliant and traced them at each and every work station.”
The civil service reforms being carried out by Zimbabwe also include a pension overhaul and investments in transportation for government workers.
