The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) says it has processed the promotions of all 52,000 teachers on the government payroll system and expects to complete verification of their records next week, paving the way for salary adjustments and arrears to be paid by October 16, 2026.
Controller and Accountant-General Kwasi Agyei disclosed this on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in an interview on Citi TV/Citi FM’s Eyewitness News. He said the Ghana Education Service (GES) has now submitted all the required promotion input forms.
According to Mr Agyei, as of 2 p.m. on Thursday the department had processed all 52,000 promotions and received the accompanying forms. “We are verifying them, and whatever is verified and validated,” he said, adding that “the intention is to pay on the 15th or before the 16th of October.”
The update comes as teachers under GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG remain on a nationwide strike declared on September 25, 2026, with delayed promotion payments among their key grievances.
CAGD verification of 52,000 teacher promotions to end next week
CAGD officials are now reviewing the input forms and promotion letters submitted by GES to determine which records are verified and validated for payment.
Mr Agyei said the validation exercise is expected to be completed next week. Teachers whose records are cleared will then receive their salary adjustments and arrears.
Promotions that are not captured in the current payroll process will be handled through a supplementary payroll and later reflected in the affected teachers’ salaries.
How the teacher promotion payment numbers compare
The latest figures mark a major jump from the position CAGD reported in late September, when it said only a small share of the expected cases had reached it.
- As of September 22, 2026: GES had submitted 6,079 completed input forms and promotion letters, all of which were processed and paid in September salaries.
- Expected total cases at the time: 58,620 promoted teachers.
- As of October 8, 2026 (2 p.m.): promotions of 52,000 teachers processed on the payroll system, with input forms received.
- Arrears period: promotions dating back to January 1, 2026.
- Target payment date: on or before October 16, 2026.
Why teachers’ promotion arrears were delayed
CAGD had earlier explained that it cannot pay promotion-related salary adjustments until GES submits and validates the required documents. These are a signed promotion or change-of-grade input form and a copy of the promotion or upgrading letter.
Under the process, GES initiates promotions through the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS) and submits the documents to CAGD for validation on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD2). “CAGD has processed every valid case received from GES,” the department said in September.
On September 28, Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu directed the GES Director-General to submit data on all promoted teachers to CAGD to speed up payment. More on the payroll process is available on the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department website.
Teachers’ strike over promotions and allowances continues
GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG declared the strike on September 25 over unpaid promotion salaries, the conclusion of a new collective agreement, the 20% deprived-area allowance and full implementation of an August 31, 2026 agreement with the Ministry of Education and GES.
Talks with the Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) on October 6 ended without agreement. NAGRAT President Jacob Anaba said the FWSC’s offer fell “very, very far” below the unions’ expectations, as the Commission had a mandate on only two of the three allowance issues raised. GhanaTrends earlier reported on the PRETAG position that the October 16 arrears payment is not enough to end the strike.
What the CAGD update means for promoted teachers
Teachers whose promotion records are verified could see their new salary levels and arrears from January 2026 paid by mid-October.
Those whose records are not validated in this round will not lose out entirely, as CAGD says their cases will be paid through a supplementary payroll.
However, the payment addresses only one of the unions’ demands, leaving allowances and conditions of service still under negotiation.
What happens next
CAGD is expected to finish validating the 52,000 records next week, ahead of the October 15–16 payment target.
The teacher unions are waiting for the FWSC to secure a fresh mandate on the outstanding allowance issue before talks resume. The unions have said the strike will continue until an agreement is reached.
Key details at a glance
- CAGD has processed promotions of 52,000 teachers on the government payroll.
- GES has submitted all required promotion input forms.
- Verification and validation is expected to end next week.
- Payment target: on the 15th or before the 16th of October 2026.
- Unvalidated cases will be paid through a supplementary payroll.
- Arrears cover promotions dating back to January 1, 2026.
- GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG strike, declared September 25, is still on.
FAQs
When will promoted teachers be paid their arrears in Ghana?
The Controller and Accountant-General’s Department says it intends to pay verified promoted teachers on October 15 or before October 16, 2026.
How many teachers’ promotions has CAGD processed?
CAGD says it has processed the promotions of 52,000 teachers on the government payroll system as of October 8, 2026.
Is the teachers’ strike in Ghana over?
No. GNAT, NAGRAT and PRETAG say the strike continues until an agreement is reached on their demands, including allowances and conditions of service.
In summary, CAGD has processed the promotions of 52,000 teachers and says verified teachers should receive their salary adjustments and arrears by October 16, with any missed cases moved to a supplementary payroll. While the update tackles a major grievance, the teachers’ strike continues as unions await a fresh FWSC offer on allowances.
