Some workers checked their accounts in January and met silence. No alert. No salary. Just questions. The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department has confirmed that 2,563 government workers did not receive their January 2026 salaries, after failing to appear in a mandatory nationwide headcount exercise. That decision has sparked quiet frustration across offices, WhatsApp groups, and union corridors.
“If You Were Not Counted, You Won’t Be Paid”
According to officials familiar with the process, the headcount was not optional. It was designed to verify active public sector staff, clean the payroll, and remove irregular names. Simply put: No verification, no pay.
Those affected were reportedly not captured during the exercise, either because they did not show up, could not be verified, or had documentation issues that were never resolved.
Shock, Confusion, and Late Realisation
Some affected workers insist they were never fully informed. Others admit they delayed, thinking the exercise would be extended or ignored like previous ones.
That assumption turned costly. By the time January salaries were processed, their names were already flagged out of the payroll system. “It was only when the alert didn’t come that people took it seriously,” one worker said quietly.
Government’s Bigger Payroll Problem
This move is part of a broader government effort to tighten payroll controls and reduce what officials describe as long-standing leakages. Ghost names. Double salaries. Inactive workers still getting paid. The headcount, authorities say, is meant to fix that.
But critics argue that while cleaning the system is necessary, communication gaps continue to hurt genuine workers who fall through administrative cracks.
What Happens Next?
Officials say the withholding is not permanent but reinstatement will not be automatic.
Affected workers are expected to:
- Report to their respective institutions
- Rectify verification issues
- Provide required documentation
Only then will their names be reconsidered for reactivation. Until that happens, the salary freeze remains.
A Warning, Not Just a Punishment
Within government circles, the message is already clear:
These exercises are no longer paperwork formalities. For thousands of workers, January became a reminder that bureaucracy now has teeth.
