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, Citi News can confirm.
Under the approved structure, academic staff will receive $1,500 as Book Allowance and $1,600 as Research Allowance. Non-academic senior staff will receive $1,500 as Book Allowance. The cedi equivalent is to be calculated using the Bank of Ghana’s average exchange rate of GHS15.47 to $1.00, covering the period from 2nd September 2024 to 28th March 2025.
The directive, which applies to all public tertiary institutions and members of the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana (CETAG), specifies that only senior members are eligible for the payments.
Required Validation and Audit Controls
The Ministry of Finance, in a June 2025 circular referenced in the document, requires that all claims submitted must be audited and validated by Internal Audit Units of the respective institutions before forwarding to the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) for processing and payment.
Institutions have been asked to submit two copies of audited claims for both academic and non-academic senior members, using a standardised claims template attached to the communication.
Approved Allowance Rates
| Staff Category | Book Allowance | Research Allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Senior Members – Universities | $1,500 | $1,600 |
| Non-Academic Senior Members – Universities | $1,500 | – |
| Academic Staff – Colleges of Education | $1,500 | $1,660 |
The directive is expected to trigger immediate submissions from institutions amid ongoing tension within the tertiary education sector over salary arrears, cost-of-living pressures, and outstanding allowances.
Citi News understands that institutions are expected to comply promptly to ensure timely disbursement for the 2024/2025 academic year.
Background
Three key unions in tertiary education — 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) — have jointly threatened a nationwide strike if government fails to pay their book and research allowances by June 13, 2025.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 9, the three unions expressed frustration over what they described as the “undue delay” in releasing the exchange rate required to compute their book and research allowances.
They warned that the delay has created “significant uncertainty and frustration” among members, as many depend on the funds to support academic work and research activities.
Following a joint meeting on June 8, the unions resolved that while they are prepared to accommodate the late release of the exchange rate, they will not accept any extension of payment beyond September 2025.
They stressed that the allowance is a statutory obligation under their Conditions of Service, not a discretionary gesture.
The unions warned that failure by the government to honour the June 13 deadline will be treated as an official strike notice, triggering industrial action across all affected campuses.
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Teacher unions threaten strike over delayed book and research allowance