Parliamentary ‘ghostbusters’ target Casper – the unfriendly public service ghost

The Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration has pledged to prioritise its oversight role in eliminating fraudulent employees from the public sector payroll.

The committee’s actions follow the Finance Minister’s recent budget, where the elimination of ghost employees was highlighted as a key measure to reduce wasteful expenditure in public administration.

Committee supports treasury’s ghost hunt

During Wednesday’s session at Parliament, the committee expressed strong support for the National Treasury’s initiative to identify and remove non-existent employees who continue to draw salaries from public funds.

“The existence of these public service ghost employees, or, if you will, Casper – the unfriendly public service ghost, creates wastage in the public service wage bill and should be investigated,” said Committee Chairperson Jan De Villiers.

“The ghosts also work directly against this government’s efforts to establish a professional, merit-based and independent public service.”

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Parliamentary oversight plan

While commending the Finance Minister’s commitment, De Villiers emphasised that addressing this issue falls squarely within the committee’s oversight responsibilities.

The committee has therefore decided to take a proactive approach in becoming what De Villiers called the “ghostbusters of the public service.”

To this end, the committee has outlined several priority engagements as part of their oversight strategy.

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Three-pronged approach

The committee plans to organise a joint sitting with the finance committee to receive a briefing from the Minister of Finance and Treasury officials regarding the “strategy, scope and progress of ghost audits throughout the state,” according to De Villiers.

Additionally, the committee will conduct oversight visits to all provinces, beginning with Gauteng and North West next week.

During these visits, members will engage with provincial governments and national departments to assess their progress in conducting ghost audits.

The third component involves a special committee sitting with the Public Service Commission and the Department of Public Service and Administration to evaluate their current strategies for addressing the issue.

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Targeting criminal networks

De Villiers emphasised that these measures represent just the initial steps in a comprehensive effort to address the problem.

“We must never forget that behind every Casper sits a criminal who syphons taxpayer money into his pockets,” he stated.

“These ghost salaries do not just disappear into the void, they are undoubtably funnelled into the pockets of criminals, who should be identified, arrested and prosecuted.”

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Commitment to action

The committee members have committed to becoming Parliament’s dedicated “ghostbusting squad,” with De Villiers reiterating their “sincere and urgent intention to play our part in professionalising the state and eliminating this wasteful expenditure.”

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