The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has warned that Ghana’s rising public sector wage bill could continue to put significant pressure on government finances if urgent reforms are not undertaken.

He partly attributed the situation to the continued existence of “ghost names” on the government payroll, noting that some wage payments do not correspond to legitimate workers.

Koomson urged the government to take decisive and sustained steps to sanitise the payroll system, eliminate ghost workers, and strengthen oversight mechanisms to improve efficiency and accountability.

His comments come on the back of concerns raised at a high-level meeting between President John Dramani Mahama and Organised Labour, where the Minister for Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, highlighted the growing wage burden on state revenue.

Dr Forson revealed that about 44 percent of Ghana’s total tax revenue was spent on public sector wages in 2025, far exceeding the 35 percent benchmark set by ECOWAS, describing the trend as a significant strain on the country’s fiscal space.

Speaking on Ahotor FM on March 21, 2026, Koomson cautioned that without firm measures to address payroll inefficiencies and control the growth of wages and allowances, the situation could deteriorate further.

He also expressed concern about low productivity levels within the public sector, calling for targeted policies to improve worker performance and overall efficiency.

Despite these concerns, Koomson commended President Mahama for engaging Organised Labour on March 17, describing the move as a positive step towards transparency and inclusive governance.

He added that such engagements are important in keeping workers informed about economic conditions and government policies, while encouraging collective efforts to address national challenges.