The Minister for Labour, Employment and Job Creation, Dr Rashid Pelpuo, has expressed his support for the controversial directive suspending recent public sector recruitments, arguing that the country’s budget cannot sustain the growing wage bill, particularly amid ongoing negotiations for a new minimum wage.

He stated, "We cannot ignore the financial constraints we are facing. Fiscal discipline is essential as we enter into negotiations over the minimum wage."

The opposition, particularly the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has strongly protested the directive, insisting that it should be reversed to prevent the loss of thousands of jobs. Some NPP persons have gone ahead to sue the government in that regard.

Former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has also joined the call for the government to rescind the decision, asserting, "This move will harm countless Ghanaians who rely on these jobs to support their families."

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has also rejected the move following a letter from the Ghana Education Service (GES) to implement the directive.

GES dismissed teachers and non-teaching staff who were absent from the payroll.

The President of GNAT, Rev. Isaac Owusu, criticised the letter, stating, "I find the letter inappropriate because of its content. If the Director-General of GES says that teachers who have been recruited but are yet to be placed on the payroll should be dismissed, this will put pressure on the district and regional directors of education. Recruitment and appointments are not done at the district level; they are handled by GES."

He further explained, "Moreover, the Director-General's directive did not provide a comprehensive list of the teachers affected by this situation."

"A teacher who has been recruited for the past six months but is yet to be placed on the payroll—are you saying those teachers should also be included in this directive? We believe the Director-General should reconsider his directive and clarify the situation," he lamented.

Despite a petition from the minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the government remains firm in its decision.

Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Fosu reiterated that the opposition had been warned not to increase appointments.

He explained, "Whilst it is true that the tenure of the previous government ended on 6th January, it is the new government that must bear the responsibility in terms of remuneration and securing the funds to pay."

"Surely, they will have a say in how this is done. We requested meetings for explanations and told them that, at the very least, they should hold on pending further consultations on the matter. We were clear that they have the power to do that."

He continued, "You recall that on 17th December 2024, a statement was issued on behalf of the NDC side of the transition team, where we expressed our frustrations with the government's unwillingness to engage on this matter."

"We also highlighted the irregularities that have plagued the recruitment process. As a result, we had no option but to reverse those decisions pending further inquiry."

Dr Pelpuo has stressed that maintaining fiscal discipline is essential, particularly with the minimum wage negotiations underway.

"This is a necessary step to ensure the country's financial stability," he concluded.