Dr Cassiel Ato Forson the finance minister has revealed that investigations conducted suggest there is still a significant presence of ghost names on the payroll.
The finance minister made this known when he met the leadership of 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 Ato Forson, the ghost names are being addressed decisively and could yield substantial savings for the public purse.
In a post on X Ato Forson stated, “During our 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”.
He added, “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”.
UTAG, TUTAG and CETAG have threatened a nationwide strike from June 13, 2025.
According to the three Teacher Unions, their intended strike has to do with the non-payment of their book and research allowance.
Ato Forson on the Teacher Unions indented strike revealed he told the unions that the allowance has been fully captured in the 2025 Budget, and has since initiated the necessary processes in close collaboration with the Ministry of Education to ensure its release.
See the post below:
Earlier today, 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… pic.twitter.com/uASdt7pFFb
— Cassiel Ato Forson (PhD) (@Cassielforson) June 10, 2025
