By: Akua Oteng Amponsah
Ghana’s Minister for Labour, Jobs, and Employment, Dr. Rashid Pelpuo, has revealed that ministers, including himself, have not received payment nine months into President Mahama’s administration.
According to Dr. Pelpuo, the delay is due to a broader issue with the government’s new payroll system, which is being revamped to prevent future payment problems.
Dr. Pelpuo explained that the system, dubbed a “system of renewal,” aims to ensure that all workers, including ministers, are paid equitably. “It’s the overall system of renewal so that you don’t run into a problem eventually that we are trying to solve.”
The minister emphasized that the government is not withholding payments due to a lack of funds but rather working to resolve the issue holistically.
The unpaid ministers are part of a larger issue affecting thousands of public workers, including nearly 7,000 nurses and midwives who have been protesting over salary arrears.
Despite receiving official postings in December 2024, many of these health workers remain unpaid, with some having received partial payments in April 2025.
Dr. Pelpuo acknowledged the frustration, stating, “Yeah, there’s a problem… So it has to be done holistically, so everybody can be paid”.
In contrast, MPs who are not ministers have been receiving their salaries through the parliamentary payroll system, which Dr. Pelpuo described as “properly done and operational.”
However, he couldn’t confirm whether other Article 71 office holders outside the executive arm had been paid.
Dr. Pelpuo assured that the government is committed to resolving the issue, stating, “We are doing everything to make it possible that we solve this problem before, maybe before the end of the year.”
The minister attributed the problem to the previous government’s alleged practice of making employment decisions based on political motives rather than fiscal responsibility.
