Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, held discussions with leaders of three key unions in Ghana’s tertiary education sector to address concerns over the disbursement of the Book and Research Allowance.
The meeting, which took place at the request of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), the Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), and the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), focused on the status and timely release of the annual allowance.
Dr. Forson reassured the union leaders that the allowance had been fully accounted for in the 2025 national budget. He said the Ministry of Finance had already begun the processes needed to facilitate disbursement and emphasized the government’s commitment to fulfilling its obligations to the education sector.
He also welcomed a joint proposal from the unions to establish a Labour Relations Desk within the Ministry. Describing the initiative as “timely and constructive,” Dr. Forson said it would help improve communication and strengthen collaboration between the Ministry and labour groups.
The Finance Minister used the opportunity to brief the union leaders on broader reforms currently underway, particularly a payroll audit being carried out by the Auditor-General’s office. He said the audit had already uncovered numerous ghost names on the government payroll, a situation he said was draining public resources.
He called on the unions to support the cleanup exercise, stressing that restoring transparency in public payroll management was essential to ensuring fairness and sustainability in public sector compensation.
“This is not just about saving money,” Dr. Forson said, “but about restoring integrity to the system and ensuring that legitimate workers are properly recognised and compensated.”
The unions expressed appreciation for the engagement and pledged their support for reforms that safeguard the interests of educators while promoting accountability within the public service.
