The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) has clarified that delays in placing some promoted and upgraded teachers on their appropriate salary scales are linked to the submission of required documentation by the Ghana Education Service (GES).
The clarification follows recent concerns raised by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) and the Pre-Tertiary Teachers Association of Ghana (PRETAG) over alleged delays in processing promotions and upgrades of teachers.
In a press release dated September 27, 2026, the CAGD acknowledged the concerns expressed by the teacher unions and affected teachers, but stressed that its payroll processes require the submission and validation of specific documents before salary adjustments can be effected.
The Department said it remains committed to ensuring the timely and accurate payment of salaries and allowances due to public sector employees in accordance with approved procedures and payroll controls.
According to the CAGD, government payroll administration operates through two principal platforms: the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS), managed by the relevant employer or management unit, and the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database 2 (IPPD2), managed by the CAGD.
For teachers, the Ghana Education Service is responsible for initiating and effecting promotions in the HRMIS.
After a promotion or upgrade has been effected, the GES is required to submit the necessary documentation to the CAGD for validation and subsequent payroll processing.
The CAGD said the required documents include a duly completed and signed promotion/change-of-grade input form, bearing the signatures of an authorised preparer and approver whose specimen signatures have been submitted to the Department.
A copy of the promotion or upgrading letter issued to the affected employee must also be submitted.
The Department stressed that these documents are not simply administrative requirements but form an essential part of its payroll validation process.
It explained that the controls are intended to prevent fictitious promotions, unauthorised salary adjustments and irregular payments while protecting public funds and ensuring that legitimate employees receive their approved entitlements.
The CAGD further disclosed that an agreement was reached at a meeting on August 31, 2026, involving the Minister of Education, the Deputy Minister of Education, representatives of the teacher unions, the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service and his team, as well as the Controller and Accountant-General and his team.
At the meeting, it was agreed that the GES would provide the CAGD with a master list of promoted GES staff, their promotion letters and completed input forms.
The documentation was required to enable the CAGD to process the affected teachers’ promotion arrears, with the payments taking effect from January 1, 2026.
The CAGD said that, pursuant to the agreement, it received 6,079 completed input forms and corresponding promotion letters from the GES as of September 22, 2026.
However, the Department said the 6,079 cases represented only a portion of the expected 58,620 cases.
It stated that all 6,079 cases submitted by the GES had been fully processed and paid, including the applicable arrears, as part of the September 2026 salaries.
The Department consequently sought to clarify that it had processed every valid promotion case submitted by the GES with the required documentation.
“Any outstanding payment therefore relates to cases for which GES is yet to submit the requisite documentation for validation and processing,” the CAGD said.
It explained that it cannot independently process promotion-related salary adjustments without the required documents from the employer.
Where the documentation has not been submitted, the transaction remains suspended until the necessary records are received and successfully validated.
The CAGD said this procedure applies because the Department’s role is to validate and process payroll changes based on authorised information supplied by the relevant employer.
The Department has called for continued collaboration among the Ministry of Education, GES, teacher unions and other stakeholders to resolve outstanding payroll issues.
It said it remains available to engage with the relevant institutions to ensure that genuine concerns are addressed promptly and in accordance with established procedures.
The CAGD also urged stakeholders to exercise caution in their public communications, saying statements that misrepresent the Department’s role in payroll administration could create unnecessary anxiety among teachers and the wider public.
The Department reaffirmed its appreciation for the contribution of teachers to national development and assured affected teachers that legitimate payments would be processed once the required documentation was submitted and validated.
The CAGD said it would continue to uphold transparency, accountability and prudent management of the Government of Ghana’s payroll.
By 1960news.com
