Governement starts public sector recruitments

Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson has announced that government has initiated steps to recruit new staff into the public service, despite ongoing fiscal pressures driven by a rising public sector wage bill.

He made the disclosure on March 17 during a meeting between President John Dramani Mahama and Organised Labour, noting that the recruitment forms part of commitments under an agreement reached with labour unions.

Dr Forson explained that under the November 9, 2025 agreement on the 2026 base pay, government pledged to engage unions and undertake targeted hiring to address staffing gaps in key public institutions.

“In line with that agreement, government has begun processes to recruit staff into the public service, while remaining within budget constraints,” he said.

The announcement comes at a time when Ghana’s public finances are under strain. According to the Minister, government borrowed GH₵17 billion in 2025 to meet salary obligations, highlighting the growing pressure from the wage bill.

He further revealed that the country’s compensation-to-tax revenue ratio currently stands at 44 percent, well above the 35 percent threshold set by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Figures from the 2025 fiscal year show that the total public sector compensation bill reached GH₵78.9 billion. This exceeded the remaining non-oil tax revenue—after statutory payments and debt servicing—by GH₵17 billion, with the shortfall financed through borrowing.

Despite the challenging outlook, Dr Forson assured that the recruitment exercise would be undertaken cautiously to avoid worsening the fiscal situation.

He reiterated that the hiring process would be carefully managed within available budget limits as part of ongoing engagements with Organised Labour.