Ato Forson pledges swift action on UTAG, TUTAG, CETAG allowances  

The Minister for Finance, Dr. Ato Forson, has assured 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) over the payment of their allowances.

“I had the opportunity to meet with the leadership of three unions in Ghana’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).

According to him, this engagement was prompted by a request they submitted regarding the disbursement of the Book and Research Allowance.

“I assured them that the allowance has been fully captured in the 2025 Budget, and I have since initiated the necessary processes in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education to ensure its release.

“I also commended the unions for their constructive proposal to establish a dedicated Labour Relations Desk within the Ministry of Finance”, Dr. Forson stated.

According to him, this initiative, once operationalized, will strengthen coordination with our counterparts on the labour front and enhance dialogue and responsiveness.

He further explained that during the meeting, “I took the opportunity to update the leadership on ongoing payroll reforms, particularly the audit being conducted by the Auditor-General.

“Preliminary findings indicate a significant presence of ghost names on the payroll, a situation that, if addressed decisively, could yield substantial savings for the public purse.

“I urged the union leaders to lend their support to this important national exercise.

“Cleaning the payroll is not only about fiscal prudence; it is also about restoring integrity and fairness in public sector compensation.

“We remain committed to working closely with all stakeholders to build a sustainable, equitable, and accountable public service.”