The Government suspended 18,899 public employees from the payroll after they failed to complete the mandatory biometric proof of life, a new control mechanism designed to eliminate “ghost employees” in the Public Administration.
According to Lusa, the measure stems from the implementation of the State Human Resources Management System (e‑SNGRHE), an electronic platform that monitors the employment lifecycle of state agents, from admission to separation.
The Ministry of Finance explained that the biometric proof of life must be carried out annually, during the employee’s birth month, through facial recognition and fingerprint capture. The process is conducted electronically via a mobile application called BioPV, allowing employees to confirm their status from anywhere in the world, provided they have Internet access.
“Employees who do not complete the proof of life during their birth month are automatically removed from the payroll the following month, with payment suspended until regularization,” the Ministry stated. If the registration is not completed by the end of the fiscal year, the system permanently deactivates the employee.
The Ministry clarified that the 18,899 cases were suspended gradually, according to their birth month calendar, and therefore did not create any additional financial burden for the State, as no improper payments were made after the suspensions. On September 30, the Government had announced the detection of approximately 18,000 “ghost employees” in the state payroll system.
Inocêncio Impissa, Government Spokesperson and Minister of State Administration and Public Service, assured that the Government will move forward with accountability measures.
“Now we want to clarify and hold people responsible. There is always a chain of processing: someone authorized, someone confirmed, and someone made the payment. It is necessary to identify who allowed a salary to be paid to a nonexistent person,” the minister stated, emphasizing the need to “purify” the public service and ensure state resources are applied transparently.
At the same time, joint inspections by the Inspectorate-General of Public Administration and the Inspectorate-General of Finance are underway to identify the reasons why the biometric verification was not completed and to determine possible administrative responsibilities.
The Ministry of Finance highlighted that the new electronic e‑SNGRHE system ensures that only active and properly identified employees receive remuneration, eliminating the possibility of payments to nonexistent individuals. The Government also urged human resource managers at all levels to ensure the integrity and transparency of the process.
Source: Diário Económico
