MINFI: General census to uncover ghost workers

The Ministry of Finance has launched a census to uncover unjustified beneficiaries of state funds.

The operation to take place for three months shall be organised nationwide in all pension counters, banks, financial institutions and treasury stations.

It focuses mainly on retired persons and persons benefiting from beneficiaries of pensions and other dead state workers.

According to the head of the unite in charge of the state`s pay roll in the Ministry of Finance, Mohamadou Ousman, the exercise has been organised to weed out unscrupulous beneficiaries of state funds.

Mr Mohamadou Ousman contended the irregularities involved as dead people still earn salaries, some Cameroonians after the eighteen year limit still receive government subventions as minors some pensioners receiving double salaries and unidentified persons receiving pensions in place of the real beneficiaries.

All these irregularities is costing the state a number of billions and denying its citizens the well planned development projects necessary to develop the economy.

The head of the unit pointed to a similar exercise organised in 2006 when the Ministry undertook to identify state workers.

At the end of the exercise very disturbing results were registered; 13000 people were found guilty of fraud of in diverse nature.

At the end of the campaign, the state recovered a sum of FCFA 5 billion.

It is hoped that at the end of this latest cleaning up, the Ministry of Finance would be able to identify those who duly deserve to benefit from state subventions.