Public service minister tours biometric centers as onslaught on ghost names intensifies

JUBA – The National Minister of Public Service and Human Resource Development, Dak Duop Bichiok, has toured all five centres conducting the ongoing Headcount and Biometric Registration Exercise for public servants, calling the initiative a “game changer that will clean the payroll and redirect wasted money to essential services.”

The minister said the new system—already used successfully in Somalia, Kenya, Namibia and other post-conflict states—will eliminate ghost names, identify workers due for retirement, and establish the true size of the national workforce.

“If we remove the ghost names, there will be surplus money. This surplus will go to other services our people need,” Minister Dak said on Monday.

Dak acknowledged long-standing concerns over inflated staff numbers in some states, particularly Upper Nile State, where the number of state employees exceeds that of the national government.

He said the biometric system will expose such irregularities.

“Those not appointed through public service procedures will be removed from the payroll,” he stressed.

The minister also said the new system will stop the practice of one person working in multiple institutions.

“If you work in public service, you cannot access another ministry again. This system will detect it immediately,” Duop said.

Meanwhile, Abraham Makur-Mangok, the Director General of Human Resource Management and the official in charge of the exercise, said the process aims to establish a complete and reliable database of all public servants for proper planning and budgeting.

“Since independence, our human resource system has not been comprehensive. It did not capture full employee details,” he said.

“This biometric registration will help the Republic know its entire workforce—from the national ministries to the states and even organised forces.”

Mango said the exercise will be rolled out in three phases: National institutions (currently ongoing), all state-level institutions and organised forces (pending approval)

At the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs registration centre, Site Supervisor Kur Deng Kuot reported a positive reception from staff.

“We expected 201 people, and 123 have already registered. That is about 75% turnout,” he said.

He noted that the exercise began on November 10 and is progressing smoothly, with delays mainly due to staff who are sick or out of the country.

He added that the required documents—nationality, appointment letters, and employment records—are well communicated to staff.

Kuot said the biometric system itself has been stable, with the only challenges arising from general network instability.

According to the minister, between 300 and 400 employees have already been enrolled in the system, with the number expected to rise as the exercise continues through December and resumes next year.

A participant interviewed at one of the centres appreciated the initiative, saying it will bring transparency and ensure public servants are properly recognised.

On Tuesday, regional directors and representatives from Somalia, Eritrea and other countries will visit Juba to assess the progress and provide technical support.

Minister Duop reaffirmed that the initiative—fully funded by the World Bank—will address payroll fraud, identify retirees, and prepare room for new graduates to enter the civil service.