Long-outstanding gratuity arrears owed to retired military personnel will begin to be paid under Constitutional Instrument 129, with the first tranche due by close of business on February 27, 2026.
In a statement issued on February 25, the Ghana Armed Forces said the payment framework was agreed upon by the Military High Command in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Defence, under a two-year phased implementation plan.
About 2,393 retired military personnel—made up of 238 officers and 2,155 soldiers—will benefit from gratuity arrears calculated under a revised formula.
The payments apply to personnel who retired from November 2020, with the balance to be settled in four instalments by December 2027.
The move follows a January 2026 directive by President John Dramani Mahama at the West African Soldiers’ Social Activity at Burma Camp to release funds to clear arrears estimated at more than GH¢1 billion.
According to President John Dramani Mahama, the gratuity arrears stemmed from budgetary gaps that followed the implementation of CI 129 in 2020. He said the policy expanded years of service and raised retirement benefits, but funding was not adjusted to reflect the changes.
He further revealed that new salary scales for personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces would begin in March 2026, alongside payment of arrears for the first two months of the year.
The Ghana Armed Forces said in a statement issued by Acting Director-General of Public Relations Captain Veronica Adzo Arhin claimed the payments would finally end a problem that hasn’t been fixed since 2020. All upcoming retirements would be handled in compliance with Constitutional Instrument 129, the statement also stated.
