Bujumbura, Burundi - Some 5,000 'ghost' civil servants have been detected in Burundi, President Pierre Nkurunziza said here during the International Labour Day celebrations. These 'ghost' workers, according to the president, coast the government an annual wage bill of 15 billion Burundian francs (about US$ 15 million). Some salaries have been unduly paid and received by some people under the guise of identities of deceased or fictitious employees,

President Nkurunziza said salaries of the 'ghost' workers and those already retrenched or retired were being received by some unscrupulous persons.

The long list of such categories of workers, drawn by the Burundian head of state, also included persons who remained in office even after they were retrenched or retired.

Pana 04/05/2011