- Government approves allowances for senior members of public tertiary institutions
- Academic staff to receive $1,500 (Book) and $1,600 (Research)
- Non-academic senior staff to receive $1,500 (Book)
The government has approved the payment of Book and Research Allowances for senior members of public universities and colleges of education for the 2024/2025 academic year, Citi News can confirm.
Per the approved framework, academic staff will receive $1,500 as a Book Allowance and $1,600 as a Research Allowance. Senior non-academic staff will receive $1,500 as a Book Allowance. The Ghana cedi equivalent will be calculated using the Bank of Ghana’s average exchange rate of GHS15.47 to $1.00, covering the period from September 2, 2024, to March 28, 2025.
This directive applies to all public tertiary institutions, including members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), and is restricted to senior members only. A circular issued by the Ministry of Finance in June 2025 outlines that all claims must first be audited and certified by the Internal Audit Units of the respective institutions before being forwarded to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for processing and disbursement.
Institutions have been instructed to submit two copies of the audited claims for both academic and non-academic senior staff, using a standardized claims template attached to the directive. The announcement is expected to prompt immediate action from institutions amid ongoing concerns in the tertiary education sector over unpaid salaries, rising living costs, and outstanding allowances.
Citi News has learned that institutions are expected to act swiftly to facilitate timely disbursement for the 2024/2025 academic year. In a statement released on Monday, June 9, the three major unions voiced frustration over what they described as an “unwarranted delay” in releasing the exchange rate necessary to calculate the allowances. They noted that the delay has caused “serious uncertainty and frustration” among members, many of whom rely on the funds to support academic and research activities.
Following a joint meeting on June 8, the unions agreed to tolerate the delayed release of the exchange rate but made it clear that any attempt to postpone payment beyond September 2025 would be unacceptable.
They emphasized that the allowance is a statutory entitlement under their Conditions of Service—not a discretionary benefit.
The unions cautioned that failure by the government to meet the June 13 deadline would be considered an official strike notice, likely resulting in industrial action across all affected campuses.
