Accra, May 20, GNA - The government and teacher unions have agreed t= o pay certain allowances for teachers based on the recommendations of the Technical Committee set up by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare to examine the payment of certain allowance= s. The agreement was made in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed= on behalf of the teacher unions by Mrs Irene Duncan-Adanusa and government representatives. The government representatives who signed the agreement were, Mr Eno= ch Teye Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, Mr Alex Tettey-En= yo, Minister of Education, Mr George Smith-Graham, Chairman of Fair Wages and=

Salaries Commission (FWSC). Under the MOU, a monthly professional allowance equivalent to 15 per=

cent of monthly gross basic salary be paid to professional teachers and t= he payment should be effected in three tranches.

The first tranche: 15 per cent of monthly basic salary in June 2010;=

the second tranche: 50 per cent of arrears in July 2010 and the third tranche: remaining 50 per cent of arrears in October 2010. It said all other allowances (difficult/deprived area, supervisory, and special subject allowance, ICT, science, mathematics and vocational) be deferred and taken on board as part of the harmonisation and standardisat= ion of allowances in the implementation process of the Single Spine Pay Polic= y (SSPP). The MOU said list of eligible teachers (certified teachers), their grades, and salary levels should be submitted to Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and FWSC to effect the implementation. 20 May 10