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.

According to the approved structure, academic senior staff will receive $1,500 as Book Allowance and $1,600 as Research Allowance, while non-academic senior staff will receive $1,500 as Book Allowance.

The 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, which applies to all public tertiary institutions including members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG) states that only senior members are eligible for these payments.

The Ministry of Finance, in a circular issued in June 2025, instructed that all claims must be audited and validated by the Internal Audit Units of the respective institutions before being forwarded to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for processing and disbursement.

Institutions are expected to submit two copies of audited claims for both academic and non-academic senior staff, using a standardised claims template provided in the official communication.

This decision comes amid growing tension in the tertiary education sector over delays in the payment of statutory entitlements. Just days before the approval, three major unions: University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG), Technical University Teachers Association of Ghana (TUTAG), and CETAG issued a joint ultimatum to the government, threatening a nationwide strike if their Book and Research Allowances were not paid by June 13, 2025.

In a statement released on Monday, June 9, the unions expressed frustration over what they described as an “undue delay” in releasing the necessary exchange rate to compute the allowances.

They argued that the uncertainty was affecting their ability to plan and carry out academic and research activities, especially as many members rely heavily on these funds.

Following a joint meeting on June 8, the unions acknowledged the late release of the exchange rate but made it clear they would not accept any delay in payments beyond September 2025.

They said the allowance is a contractual obligation under their Conditions of Service, not a discretionary benefit.

The government’s directive is now expected to trigger immediate submissions from institutions to ensure timely disbursement, with the June 13 deadline looming and the threat of industrial action still in play.