Coleman Publications has received an influx of inquiries from our cherished readers across the country, all echoing the same concern: Will there be government recruitment this year?
The anxiety stems from the apparent silence of the Finance Minister regarding employment plans, particularly within the education sector, when reading the 2025 Mid-Year Budget.
This article seeks to provide clarity based on current parliamentary proceedings, ministerial statements, and verified updates from key institutions.
The first substantial indication came during a parliamentary sitting on June 25, 2025, where the Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, made a significant declaration.
According to Honourable Iddrisu, the government intends to recruit 50,000 teaching staff and 10,000 non-teaching personnel into the Ghana Education Service (GES) during the 2025 calendar year.
This announcement was not a mere political gesture—it was grounded in existing workforce needs and had already initiated procedural steps within the ministries concerned.
Subsequently, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, the Director-General of GES, reinforced this commitment during an engagement with the leadership of the Teacher Trainees Association of Ghana (TTAG).
He confirmed that the GES has submitted comprehensive recruitment plans to both the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Finance (MoF), seeking financial clearance for implementation.
Parliament has reportedly given its nod to the ministry’s proposal, placing the final decision squarely with the Finance Minister.
However, the matter took a complex turn when the minister remained silent on the issue during the mid-year budget presentation.
Speaking on the matter on the PM Express on JoyNews on July 24, 2025, Dr. Forson addressed concerns regarding the delays in the recruitment.
He explained that a nationwide payroll audit, commissioned to sanitise government salary structures, had uncovered alarming discrepancies—including over 14,000 unverifiable workers and 53,307 separated staff still appearing on the public payroll.
“So far, the Audit Service has completed 91% of the payroll audit. It has not been able to identify or verify over 14,000 individuals currently receiving salaries from the government,” Dr. Forson noted.
As a result, any recruitment exercise must await the completion of the audit by the Auditor-General.
Dr. Forson emphasised that the audit findings are not trivial, as they directly impact the country’s already strained compensation budget.
Data from the first half of 2025 reveal that wages and salaries have exceeded budgetary allocations by GH¢1.3 billion, primarily due to rushed recruitment efforts by the previous administration in Q4 of 2024. Sectors most affected include education, health, and security.
Moreover, uncoordinated adjustments to conditions of service in prior years have destabilised Ghana’s Single Spine Pay Policy, compounding wage management complexities.
Given this backdrop, the Ministry of Finance cannot authorise new employment until the audit process concludes and fiscal discipline is restored.
To address systemic challenges, he noted that the government has initiated a range of corrective measures:
- Regular nationwide payroll audits to validate staff records and ensure transparency.
- Realignment of staff from overstaffed and defunct Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to areas facing critical workforce shortages.
- Establishment of the Independent Emoluments Commission (IEC) to guide sustainable public sector pay reforms.
- Executive directives mandating all MDAs to obtain prior financial clearance from the Finance Minister before entering into payroll commitments.
In summary, although the 2025 budget speech may not have explicitly addressed recruitment, stakeholders should not interpret this as a cancellation of recruitment plans.
The GES recruitment initiative remains active, contingent on the completion of essential auditing procedures and receipt of final financial approval.
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