News:
June 15, 2017
The Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Akatsi North, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe has expressed worry over the 25% drastic reduction in the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) allocation.
This development he noted would negatively affect education delivery in the country because on-going projects stated by the previous administration would suffer.
He also noted the new formula by government failed to disclosed the detail allocation of Funds to the various sub- sectors under the GETFUND. Several GETFUND funded projects are dotted around the country are left uncompleted due to lack of funds.
Mr Nortsu-Kotoe observed that there has always been at least one million cedis increase in the amount allocated to the Fund but would not be the case now. So this year we expected around GHc1.1billion going to GETFund but now it has been capped by 25%.”
Some Ghanaian students studying in the United Kingdom on GETFund scholarship, recently threatened to embark on a demonstration in London over their unpaid stipends and several other statutory non-payments.
The reduced allocation to the Fund is expected to further worsen the already precarious situation.
Already, managers of the Fund have admitted the challenges especially the non- availability of Funds for disbursement.
The previous administration allocated an amount of GHc1billion to GETFund in 2016 hence the 25% reduction means only GHc790 million would be made available in 2017.
Government in the 2017 Budget statement slashed most financial allocations to several state institutions due to realignment to finance its priority areas. Parliament approved a proposed formula for the distribution of an amount of GHc790million cedis for the GETFund for the year 2017.
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By Christian Kpesese/ghanamps.com