The Minority in Parliament, has called on President Akufo-Addo to direct the Finance Minister to release the over 100 million Ghana Cedis capitation grant, owed to public basic schools.
The group stated that the government has failed to disburse the capitation grants to the public basic schools for the past two years, thereby affecting the teaching and learning activities of the schools.
Speaking to journalists, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, said there must be timely disbursement of the capitation grants to save the education sector from collapse.
“As I speak to you, the government owes capitation grants for the previous budget year at a whopping amount of 45 million Ghana cedis. For the current year, the request was 60 million and the government brought only 11 million for us to approve. So ideally, the government should be making available capitation grants in excess of 106 million cedis and that is not happening. It is clear that contrary to what we are being made to believe, education under Akufo-Addo is unsurpassed, is a blatant lie.
“You cannot convince us that you cannot provide the needed resources for the foundation that is basic. You owe capitation grants for two years, the headmasters are having to borrow and because of that many parents are becoming disillusioned in basic school, so you can’t tell me that this is a president that has prioritised education in Ghana.”
Dr. Clement Apaak
Release Money To District Assembly Common Fund
The Minority in Parliament, also call on the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to immediately release funds for the District Assembly Common Fund.
According to the Minority, government must pay areas owed the Common Fund since 2018. Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, said the non-payment of the fund has halted operations at some district assemblies.
“It is quite clear that since 2018, the common fund is unable to receive an amount of over six two billion Ghana cedis [GH₵6.2 billion]. Which is money due in accordance with Article 252 (2) of the constitution. It’s not an option for government whether to pay the fund or not.
“The money has been collected in terms of tax, it is illegal for the minister of finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, not to pay those monies to the assemblies. What it means is that there are many assemblies where their staff go to work and do nothing. They basically go sit around the table and close. As a result, the assemblies are unable to do the services that are required of them.”
Governs Kwame Agbodza
Ranking Member on the Local Government and Rural Development Committee of Parliament, Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, alleged that the finance minister has refused to appear before the committee for the issue of common fund disbursement to be addressed.
“We have severally tried, we have made that input on the floor of the house and the speaker Alban Bagbin has ruled that the ministry of finance should appear before the joint committee of finance and local government to make sure that these issues are resolved”.
Edwin Nii Lantey Vanderpuye
He said, “at the local government level, we have written twice inviting the finance ministry to come to meet with us, so that we can furnish the house with intentions of the ministry of finance, to make sure that they adhere to the principles enshrined in the constitution. Up till today, that has not been done,” Nii Lantey Vanderpuye said.
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