Finance Minister Engages Tertiary Education Unions Over Book and Research Allowance

Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson held a crucial meeting on Tuesday, June 10, with leaders of three key unions representing Ghana’s tertiary education sector to deliberate on the disbursement of the Book and Research Allowance.

The meeting was convened following a formal request by 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). Their concerns centered on the timely release of the allowance for academic staff.

In response, Dr. Forson assured the unions that the allowance had been fully accounted for in the 2025 Budget. He further disclosed that steps had already been initiated to ensure the funds are disbursed promptly.

He applauded the unions for proposing the creation of a Labour Relations Desk within the Ministry of Finance, noting that such a move would strengthen collaboration and foster more effective engagement between the Ministry and organized labour.

The Minister also used the occasion to brief the union leaders on the ongoing payroll audit spearheaded by the Auditor-General. Preliminary results, he revealed, point to the existence of numerous ghost names on the public payroll. He noted that addressing this issue could lead to significant financial savings and help improve transparency in the public sector.

Dr. Forson appealed to the unions to support the payroll clean-up exercise, stressing that it is a national responsibility aimed at promoting fiscal discipline and ensuring fairness in the compensation of public sector workers.