Former Executive Secretary of the National Film Authority (NFA), Juliet Asante, has disclosed that she and her staff went without salaries for two years while running the government agency.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, March 2, 2025, Asante revealed the severe financial challenges she faced during her tenure.
According to her, in the first year, they were given a total of GH¢1,000 (approximately $100), and in the second year, the allocation increased to GH¢10,000 (about $1,000 at the time).
Despite these meagre funds, Juliet Asante noted that neither she nor her team received any formal salaries, compelling them to finance the operational costs of the office from their own pockets.
“In the first year, we were given 1000ghc ($100) for the entire year. Second year, 10,000ghc (about $1000 at the time). Neither I nor my staff received pay for 2 years. We had to shoulder the cost of running a Government office from our pockets. We worked from my home or the homes of other staff members.
“There was no one to show us the ropes of how to set up a new Government agency, and while we were struggling to understand what to do and not to do… I was dealing with a very antagonistic board, that told me upfront that I wasn’t who they wanted,” she stated.
Juliet Asante noted that in 2022, she and her team finally received their first salaries, though financial challenges remained.
“In 2022, we all got our first salaries… thank God… but money was still so tight and we still had inadequate office space, no car for work, nothing… even the machines used at the office were personal to many of us. Everything you have seen online was edited on my personal machine,” she stated.
Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama has appointed Kafui Danku as the Executive Secretary of the NFA, with James Gardiner appointed as her Deputy.
