Speaking at the state ministry of public services, Ngor assured civil servants that the IDs would aid in identifying “ghost” employees drawing salaries under fake names.
“Many have resorted to writing fake names, even names of trees and cows, to get paid,” Ngor said. “Everyone needs an ID to address this issue.”
The initiative will cover all government employees, from ministries down to county levels, Ngor added.
However, he sparked controversy by requiring each employee to pay SSP4,000 (roughly $3.8) for their IDs.
Salaries will only be issued upon presentation of the ID, Ngor stated.
This announcement comes against the backdrop of reported five-month payment delays for civil servants in the state, leading some critics to allege the ID scheme is a tactic to further postpone salaries.
