Salary increases for Ghanaian military troops have been approved by President John Dramani Mahama.
The new pay system will go into effect in March 2026.
He also said that January and February 2026 salary arrears would be reimbursed in March.
The news was made during the President’s speech at the 2025 West African Soldiers’ Social Activity (WASA), which took place at the Ghana Armed Forces’ headquarters at Burma Camp in Accra.
The purpose of WASA, an annual social event for security service personnel, is to provide them with a break from their hectic schedules while encouraging friendship and appreciation for one another.
Military soldiers in attendance thunderously applauded President Mahama’s announcement.
“I bring thee tidings of great joy, and it pleases me to announce that your new salary scales will start in March. I said tidings of great joy. You now understand what I mean. Your new salary scales will start in March, and the arrears for January and February will also be paid in March,” he said.
“Thank you very much. I knew you would receive that with great joy.”
Speaking about retirement benefits, President Mahama recalled that in 2020, just before the general elections, the previous administration implemented Constitutional Instrument 129, which increased retirement and gratuity payments for retiring officers while also extending the length of service.
“It will interest you to know that over the four years following the year 2020, the previous administration made no budgetary allocation to operationalize the new gratuity levels,” he stated.
The President stated that as a result of this error, around 3,000 military personnel of various ranks now owe more than one billion Ghana cedis in arrears.
He said that while actions were made to fully clear their claims under C.I. 129, he had instructed the Minister of Finance to release cash to cover the remaining arrears of the 1995 and 1996 year groups at current rates.
Additionally, President Mahama stated plans to increase the Ghana Armed Forces’ internal funding by being more involved in national infrastructure projects.
He stated that negotiations were in progress with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Roads to allow the Ghana Army and the 48th Engineer Regiment to take part in the government’s Big Push Infrastructure Projects throughout the nation.
“We shall allocate some of the drip equipment that was imported under the last administration to the 48th Engineer Regiment so that you can also participate in road construction and earn money for the Armed Forces,” he said.
He thanked the organisers, sponsors, and partners who helped make WASSA 2025 a success and praised the Chief of Defence Staff Prize essay competition winners.
Source: newsthemegh.com