GUINEA-BISSAU’S government has made a significant move to tackle payroll fraud and ghost workers by ordering the suspension of teachers’ salaries, according to a statement released on Thursday. The tiny West African nation, heavily dependent on external aid to cover education sector salaries, is waging a war on fictitious workers to streamline its wage bill.
The country’s council of ministers issued a decision on July 18, which was subsequently published on Thursday, instructing the education ministry to conduct a comprehensive census of its employees to ensure accurate payroll data.
Nearly 8,000 teachers in Guinea-Bissau’s primary and secondary schools will be impacted by this decision. These educators currently earn an average of around CFA 50,000 ($85) per month. However, the move has sparked threats of action from a prominent teaching union.
The IMF had previously reached a staff level agreement for a $3.16 million extended credit facility
for Guinea Bissau in May. However, the Bissau government failed to meet three of the eight economic reforms targets due in March, one of which was the implementation of a wage ceiling.
Domingos de Carvalho, the president of Bissau’s National Union of Teachers, expressed dissatisfaction with the decision and stated that the union would appeal against what it deemed an unfair action. While de Carvalho ruled out an immediate strike, he emphasized the union’s intention to explore other effective ways to respond to the suspension of teachers’ salaries.
The government’s move to suspend teachers’ salaries represents a significant step in its efforts to combat payroll fraud and weed out ghost workers. This decision aims to address budgetary challenges and streamline the wage bill, as Guinea-Bissau seeks to maintain economic stability and fiscal responsibility in the education sector.
