GTEC Aligns with Public Universities on 2026 Budget Implementation
GTEC ENGAGES WITH FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCE OFFICERS OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES AND OTHER SUBVENTED BODIES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2026 APPROVED BUDGET
The Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), in collaboration with the compliance department of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Public Services Commission (PSC), has organized a two-day engagement series for Finance Officers and Human Resource Officers of public universities and the Colleges of Education across the country to discuss issues arising from the implementation of the 2026 approved budgets. The engagement was held on Wednesday, June 3, and Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the conference hall of GTEC.
The Deputy Director-General of GTEC, Professor Augustine Ocloo, in his welcome address, emphasized the importance of effective collaboration between tertiary education institutions and the Commission to ensure smooth implementation of the approved budgets and efficient management of resources within the sector. He added that the meeting has been convened in response to key observations made by the Commission through its ongoing budget performance review, monitoring of budget implementation, and processing of monthly audited payroll submissions.
He stated that the Commission identified some challenges during budget implementation, including inconsistencies in promotion practices, and misalignment between promotions and approved establishment ceilings and with existing public service compensation policies. Consequently, there is a need for this engagement to improve understanding of government policies on compensation of employees. This will enhance compliance with established guidelines and help reduce payroll irregularities, as well as financial and human resource management malpractices within tertiary education institutions across the country.
Mrs. Loveridge Apratwum Okyere and Mr. Seth Odoi from the Public Financial Management Compliance Division of the Ministry of Finance guided participants through Commitment Control guidelines and expenditure management measures. They also covered the legal framework of PFM compliance, Commitment Authorization, the PFM Compliance Enforcement Committee, the PFM league table, and the infractions and sanctions related to poor financial management in the public sector. They highlighted that Commitment Authorization is a formal approval granted by the Ministry of Finance to procurement entities prior to the initiating procurement activities.
Dr. Prince Edward Darah from the Public Services Commission (PSC) also took participants through Compensation and human resource-related issues within the public sector. He emphasized that upgrades to senior category should prioritize internal advertisement of vacancies, allowing current employees to apply before positions are opened to the public. Additionally, promotions must align with the availability of existing vacancies based on establishment ceilings.
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Mrs. Sandra Amoah, the Head of Budget at GTEC, led a discussion session focused on issues surrounding budget implementation. According to her, the engagement series is part of ongoing stakeholder engagement efforts aimed at strengthening accountability, improving coordination, and enhancing the effective delivery of tertiary education in Ghana.
