GHANA’s Finance Minister, Dr. Ato Forson, has held a crucial meeting with leaders of three key unions in the country’s tertiary education sector – 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).
The engagement, which took place yesterday, centered on concerns raised by the unions regarding delays in the disbursement of the Book and Research Allowance.
In response, Dr. Forson assured the union leaders that the allowance has been fully accounted for in the 2025 National Budget. He added that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, has already initiated the necessary steps to ensure its timely release.
The Finance Minister also lauded the unions for proposing the establishment of a dedicated Labour Relations Desk within the Ministry of Finance – an initiative he described as timely and forward-thinking. According to him, the desk will boost coordination with labour unions and improve dialogue and responsiveness on critical issues.
Dr. Forson used the occasion to brief the union leaders on ongoing payroll reforms, including a nationwide audit spearheaded by the Auditor-General. Preliminary findings from the audit reportedly reveal the existence of numerous ghost names on the public payroll – a situation the minister described as alarming but fixable.
He called on the unions to support the clean-up exercise, noting that removing ghost names would not only save public funds but also restore fairness and integrity in public sector remuneration.
“We remain committed to building a sustainable, equitable, and accountable public service,” Dr. Forson emphasized.
The meeting marks a significant step toward improved engagement between government and academia, with both parties pledging continued collaboration in the interest of national development.
Source: Nationaltyme.com
