17th July 2024 5:27:02 PM
2 mins readThe Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over the Ghanaian government's significant debt amounting to over six billion Ghana Cedis owed to various entities involved in the implementation of the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy and the procurement of tablets for students.
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Speaking to journalists in Accra on July 17, 2024, Peter Nortsu Kotoe, the Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, highlighted the financial challenges plaguing the Free SHS initiative. He emphasized that while the policy has expanded access to secondary education, it has also accumulated substantial debts to companies, individuals, and organizations.“Free SHS is a very laudable programme," Kotoe acknowledged.
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"It has provided access to secondary education for quite a large number of people who wouldn’t have had the opportunity, looking at the cost involved at that time. However, the programme is facing a lot of challenges, and one of them has to do with finance."Kotoe revealed that the government owes over GHC 6 billion in total, stemming from various obligations related to the Free SHS policy.
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Additionally, he pointed out that the procurement of tablets under the 'One Student One Laptop' initiative has further strained financial resources. The government reportedly owes GHC 300 million for the procurement of GHC 1.3 million tablets, a move aimed at reducing the reliance on printed textbooks.
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Highlighting the implications of delayed payments, Kotoe expressed concern for businesses and individuals who have financed these initiatives out of pocket or through loans. He cited an example where a supplier had taken a loan of 37 million Ghana Cedis to supply tablets but had received less than 10% of the payment, making it difficult to repay the loan.
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Moreover, the Minority disclosed that the government's indebtedness extends to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), with an outstanding amount of GHC 224 million. This debt, according to Kotoe, has hampered WAEC's preparations for the upcoming West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), scheduled to commence in August.
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The Minority in Parliament called for urgent intervention to address the financial challenges facing the Free SHS programme and related initiatives. They emphasized the need for the government to prioritize settling its debts to safeguard businesses and ensure the smooth continuation of educational services.
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