National Treasury Instruction No. 4 of 2026/27: Public Service Payroll Verification

Posted 10 June 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Public Finance

Brought to you by SAnews: National Treasury has issued Instruction No. 4 of 2026/27, establishing a nationwide audit and verification process for all public service payroll recipients to eliminate ghost employees and resolve payroll irregularities.

In terms of National Treasury Instruction No. 4 of 2026/27, all government employees are required to undergo a structured verification process. The initiative, supported by provincial treasuries including the KwaZulu-Natal Treasury, aims to improve the integrity of public service employee data and reduce the public sector wage bill.

The verification process introduces the following operational requirements and timelines:

  • Verification Platform: Affected employees must confirm their identity and employment details via an online platform.
  • Access Method: Employees must access the platform using a unique QR code printed directly on their payslips.
  • Timeline: The online platform will open on 15 June 2026 and remain accessible for a period of two months.
  • Departmental Support: Government departments are mandated to assist employees who require technical or administrative support to complete the verification.
  • Physical Audits: Following the two-month online phase, any identified anomalies or unverified records will be subjected to physical verification by the respective departments.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual compliance obligations unless you are a public servant, in which case you must complete the online QR-code-based verification between 15 June 2026 and 15 August 2026 to avoid potential salary suspension.
  • For your business: Professional firms providing advisory, audit, or forensic services to government departments should prepare to assist clients with post-verification audits and the resolution of payroll anomalies.
  • For your clients: Public sector clients and government entities must immediately establish internal support mechanisms to assist staff with the QR-code-based verification and prepare internal audit units for the physical verification phase starting after 15 August 2026.

Originally published at https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/kzn-backs-national-treasury-drive-eliminate-ghost-employees

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