Libya’s Tripoli-based Ministry of Finance confirmed yesterday that it has suspended 17,000 state-sector salaries as of the 1 September.

The Ministry confirmed that its salary payment system has been linked to the Civil Registry Authority and the National ID Number systems to address the imbalances contained in salary payments.

The Ministry discovered that state-sector salaries were being paid off to deceased 6,915 employees who had not reported as dead and their salaries were still being transferred to their employers.

The Ministry said that its action is in accordance with existing laws and part of their fight against corruption. It added that discovered cases of fraud would be referred to the competent regulators for further action.