Gabon’s ghost worker purge: can the state really recover 11 billion CFA francs?
Gabon’s transitional authorities have made a decisive move: more than 1,400 civil servants have been formally dismissed for abandoning their posts, following a sweeping biometric and payroll audit designed to clean up the public administration’s files. The question now is whether the projected savings of over 11 billion CFA francs (about 16.7 million euros) a year will truly reach the people — and whether the state can recover money paid to absentees.
Ghost workers and the billions they drained from the treasury
For years, thousands of individuals continued to collect monthly salaries without ever showing up for work. Some were living abroad, others held simultaneous jobs in the private sector, and many had simply walked away from their offices. The audit uncovered 1,473 such agents, whose removal is expected to save the state more than 11 billion CFA francs annually.
According to the government, these funds will be redirected toward projects with direct benefits for citizens, including hospital renovations, school construction, and the recruitment of genuine teachers and healthcare workers.
Strict controls, but verification is still ongoing
While many citizens have welcomed the crackdown, fed up with the waste of public funds, some unions are urging caution. They want assurances that no regular employee was dismissed by mistake due to a technical glitch in the database.
The ministry has stated that questionable cases will be reviewed individually. At the same time, the state is warning that anyone who received salaries without working could face legal action to repay the undue amounts.
A necessary cleanup, but the real test lies ahead
This large-scale operation reflects the current authorities’ determination to restore order in the management of the country. Yet dismissing absentees is only one step: the bigger challenge will be preventing these practices from returning and ensuring that every public franc is now spent on Gabon’s development.