Els: MBN360 Education
Deputy Finance Minister, Thomas Nyarko Ampem has directly engaged members of the Coalition of Unpaid Teachers during the “Yeregyeyɛn Sika Demonstration (Reloaded).” The Government Official addressed a large gathering of educators who expressed grievances over months of accumulated salary arrears prior to their official placement on the state payroll.
The Minister acknowledged the persistent frustrations of the teaching workforce while providing specific updates on the administrative steps taken to resolve the financial standoff. He noted that the leadership of the teachers had previously sought audience with the Ministry of Finance to discuss the expiration of their initial financial clearances.
Thomas Nyarko Ampem confirmed that cabinet intervened to approve the issuance of new financial clearances despite the expiration of previous documents. This executive action allowed for the proper recruitment and onboarding of the teachers who have now started receiving their regular monthly salaries.
The primary focus of the ongoing agitation remains the significant arrears that built up during the period before the teachers were successfully integrated into the payroll system. The Minister highlighted that the ministry has now completed the necessary verification and processing required to facilitate the disbursement of these outstanding funds.
Internal government records show that the teachers compared their situation to colleagues within the health sector who are already scheduled for payment. The Deputy Minister verified that the health professionals are expected to receive their first batch of accumulated arrears starting in April.
Minister Ampem emphasized that the Government is utilizing a structured approach to ensure every affected professional receives their due compensation without further delay. He assured the demonstrators that the Ministry of Education has submitted the formal request for payment which was dated the 30th of March.
“I have gone through all the processes and on the 13th April even though the Finance Minister is out of town, he instructed me to conclude the processes.”
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Thomas Nyarko Ampem, The Deputy Minister of Finance.
The Deputy Minister indicated that the instructions sent to the Controller will ensure the payment process is initiated for thousands of teachers nationwide.
Government Establishes Four Month Installment Structure For Teacher Arrears
The Ministry of Finance has officially outlined a specific three phase payment plan to clear the salary arrears owed to the Coalition of Unpaid Teachers. Deputy Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem confirmed that the first set of disbursements is scheduled to hit the bank accounts of the beneficiaries in May.
The payment structure follows a model similar to the one implemented for health sector workers whose arrears were processed earlier in the year. The government decided to stagger the payments into four-month installments to ensure a flow of funds to the teachers.
Under this new arrangement, the teachers will receive four months of their total accumulated arrears during the month of May. This initial payment marks the beginning of a consistent schedule designed to eliminate the debt by the end of the third quarter.
The second phase of the disbursement plan is set for June when another four months of arrears will be paid to the staff. The third installment is planned for July covering an additional four months of the outstanding balance. The ministry will continue this cycle of monthly payments until the state fully settles the entire duration of the unpaid period for every teacher.
Thomas Nyarko Ampem explained that the Finance Minister wrote to the Controller on the 26th of February to begin the same process for health professionals. The teachers’ payment cycle is now following this established precedent to ensure equity across the different sectors of the public service.
The Minister confirmed, “In May you will receive four months of arrears, June, you will receive another four months, July another four months, until the payments are concluded.” The Government acknowledges that the teachers have demonstrated patience throughout the period of their onboarding and the subsequent wait for arrears. The administration is now focused on the execution of the payment orders to prevent any further industrial action.
