The government will begin clearing long-outstanding gratuity arrears owed to retired military personnel under Constitutional Instrument (CI) 129, with the first payments expected by close of business on February 27, 2026.
The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) confirmed the development in a statement issued on Wednesday, February 25, stating that the payments follow an agreement between the Military High Command, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Defence. The arrears will be settled through a phased two-year implementation plan.
The statement, signed by Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin, Acting Director General of Public Relations at GAF, indicated that the payments will resolve an issue that has been pending since 2020. It further assured that all future retirements will be processed fully in accordance with CI 129 to prevent a recurrence.
A total of 2,393 beneficiaries — comprising 238 officers and 2,155 soldiers — are expected to receive payments calculated under the revised gratuity formula.
The move follows a directive issued in January 2026 by President John Dramani Mahama during the annual West African Soldiers’ Social Activity at Burma Camp, where he called for the release of funds to clear the arrears.
At the event, the President disclosed that arrears exceeding GH¢1 billion had accumulated for approximately 3,000 personnel due to the absence of adequate budgetary allocation after the introduction of CI 129 in 2020. The policy extended the years of service for military personnel, thereby increasing retirement benefits without corresponding funding provisions.
He also announced that new salary scales for the Ghana Armed Forces would take effect in March 2026, with arrears for January and February expected to be paid within the same period.
Under the approved arrangement, personnel who retired from November 2020 onwards are eligible for the payments. Following the initial disbursement, the remaining arrears will be settled in four instalments through December 2027.
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Read the full statement below:
