The Controller and Accountant General's Department in Ghana has received promotion input forms for approximately 52,000 teachers, marking a significant step towards verifying and validating their salary adjustments and outstanding promotion arrears. According to Controller and Accountant General Kwasi Agyei, the Ghana Education Service has completed submitting the required documents after processing the affected teachers' promotions on the government payroll system. This development is crucial in addressing the delayed promotion placements and outstanding arrears affecting thousands of teachers.
Officials from the Controller and Accountant General's Department are currently examining the promotion input forms alongside the teachers' promotion letters to establish which records have successfully passed verification and validation. This validation exercise is expected to be completed by the following week, after which payments will be processed for teachers whose records have been cleared. The exercise is a critical step towards settling the outstanding obligations to the teachers. Earlier government estimates placed the number of affected teachers at more than 51,000, while the Ghana Education Service indicated that the figure could reach between 51,000 and 52,000.
The submission of promotion records follows an earlier government commitment to address the concerns of teachers regarding delayed promotion placements and outstanding arrears. Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu had directed the Ghana Education Service to provide comprehensive information on promoted teachers to the Controller and Accountant General's Department to facilitate the payment process. The latest submission represents a significant administrative step towards settling the outstanding obligations to the teachers.
According to Controller and Accountant General Kwasi Agyei, teachers whose promotion records are successfully verified and validated are expected to receive the relevant payments around October 15 or, at the latest, October 16. He further explained that any promotion cases not captured in the current payroll exercise would be handled through a supplementary payroll process and subsequently reflected in the affected teachers' salaries.
The dispute over promotion arrears has been one of the major concerns raised by teacher unions, including the National Association of Graduate Teachers, the Ghana National Association of Teachers, and the Pre Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana, during their industrial action. The teacher unions have repeatedly demanded the prompt placement of promoted teachers on their appropriate salary grades and payment of outstanding financial obligations.
The government has previously pledged that all promoted teachers would be placed on their new grades before the end of October. The completion of the latest data submission provides a basis for the Controller and Accountant General's Department to intensify the validation process and determine which teachers are immediately eligible for payment. This development is expected to bring relief to the affected teachers who have been waiting for their promotions to be reflected in their salaries.
The prompt payment of promotion arrears and placement of teachers on their new salary grades is expected to improve the overall morale and motivation of teachers in Ghana. The government's efforts to address the concerns of teachers are crucial in ensuring that the education sector continues to attract and retain qualified professionals. With the validation exercise nearing completion, teachers can expect to receive their payments and see their promotions reflected in their salaries soon.
Key points
- The Controller and Accountant General's Department has received promotion input forms for approximately 52,000 teachers in Ghana.
- The validation exercise for the promotion records is expected to be completed by the following week.
- Teachers whose promotion records are successfully verified and validated are expected to receive payments around October 15 or 16.
