UTAG Issues Ultimatum to Gov’t Over Unpaid Allowance

The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has issued an ultimatum to the government over its delayed Book and Research Allowance (BRA).

The Association has described the delay as undue and has thus given the government up to October 21 to address the issue.

According to the Association, the delay is causing tension on their campuses.

The ultimatum follows the Association’s differentiation between the yet-to-be-implemented National Research Fund under Act 1056 and the BRA.

“UTAG clarifies that the implementation of the Fund (National Research Fund) should not replace the infamous Book and Research Allowance (BRA), which is a critical component of the conditions of service of the Members of UTAG, which has been delayed unduly for the already completed 2022/2023 Academic year as many Lecturers in public universities are yet to receive this reimbursable expenditure.”

It added, “We are urging the Government to ensure that all UTAG Members receive their BRA by the 21st of October to avoid disrupting industrial harmony.”

National Research Fund
Commending the Parliament for the passage of the Fund, the UTAG said the initiative will provide sustainable revenue for research to address contextual developmental problems.

It noted that it will enable public universities to wean from international funding which somehow dictates the research’s agenda and focus.

It further called on the government to operationalize the fund immediately.

“UTAG…calls for its immediate operationalisation. As a first step, the government could allocate 1% of GDP to operationalise the National Research Fund.”