[Congo] $800 million lost to payroll fraud every year

An audit report has revealed that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) loses at least $800 million annually to ghost worker payroll scams, The Heritage Times reports.

The country’s Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) said the payroll audit shows that payments have been made to numerous fictitious employees.

According to the IGF, these payment irregularities involve tens of thousands of non-existing workers.

in a statement on April 27, concerning the audit conducted by its services the IGF said, “The monthly loss of earnings suffered by the treasury is 148,999,749,440.95 Congolese francs (or 66.2 million dollars).” 

The DRC’s public finance watchdog reportedly said that more than 145,000 paid agents have “incorrect, fictitious and fabricated registration numbers for payroll purposes”.

In addition, the audit report disclosed that more than 40,000 agents are paid without their names appearing on the declaratory lists from the services that employ them. While over 90,000 agents “share the same registration number with other agents who are also paid.”

The IGF stated it will transmit the list of 961 state agents involved in this “mafia network” to the judicial authorities.

The same source added that, “some cases of obvious irregularities are subject to deactivation” on the payroll of state services already.

The DRC has a budget estimate of 16 billion dollars for the 2023 fiscal year.

A vast majority of citizens in the country reportedly live in poverty despite its huge natural resources.

According to the World Bank, nearly two-thirds of the country’s more than 100 million population survive on less than $2.15 a day; the international poverty line.

The country ranks 169th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2021 ranking.

Source: The Heritage Times

(Quotes via original reporting)

An audit report has revealed that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) loses at least $800 million annually to ghost worker payroll scams, The Heritage Times reports.

The country’s Inspectorate General of Finance (IGF) said the payroll audit shows that payments have been made to numerous fictitious employees.

According to the IGF, these payment irregularities involve tens of thousands of non-existing workers.

in a statement on April 27, concerning the audit conducted by its services the IGF said, “The monthly loss of earnings suffered by the treasury is 148,999,749,440.95 Congolese francs (or 66.2 million dollars).” 

The DRC’s public finance watchdog reportedly said that more than 145,000 paid agents have “incorrect, fictitious and fabricated registration numbers for payroll purposes”.

In addition, the audit report disclosed that more than 40,000 agents are paid without their names appearing on the declaratory lists from the services that employ them. While over 90,000 agents “share the same registration number with other agents who are also paid.”

The IGF stated it will transmit the list of 961 state agents involved in this “mafia network” to the judicial authorities.

The same source added that, “some cases of obvious irregularities are subject to deactivation” on the payroll of state services already.

The DRC has a budget estimate of 16 billion dollars for the 2023 fiscal year.

A vast majority of citizens in the country reportedly live in poverty despite its huge natural resources.

According to the World Bank, nearly two-thirds of the country’s more than 100 million population survive on less than $2.15 a day; the international poverty line.

The country ranks 169th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2021 ranking.

Source: The Heritage Times

(Quotes via original reporting)