BECE: IFEST boss bemoans govt’s consistent failure to pay WAEC on time

The Executive Secretary of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST-Ghana), Dr. Peter Anti-Partey says the government’s consistent failure to fulfill the required payments within the specified schedule set by the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) is worrying.

This comes after the government released GHC47.125 million as part payment of the GHC93 million it owed the examination management body.

However, the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) the government used in the payment is yet to translate into cash for the examination body.

Speaking to Starr News, Dr. Anti-Partey stated that the recurring issue of payment delays or inadequacies has been a persistent concern that the government encounters when meeting the financial obligations towards WAEC.

“It beats my imagination that we continue to have this challenge although we know that the timetable is set right after the next BECE or WASSCE is written, so we are sure when the BECE is going to be written and when WASSCE will be carried out.

“I still don’t understand how we are always not able to meet the demand, the payment schedules for WAEC. Then few weeks before the examination, there is confusion about whether the exams will come on or not because of lack of payment here and there. I really don’t get it,” he stated.

Background

The Director of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, has disclosed that the West African Examination Council is still processing the recent payment the government made to them following warnings that the final year exam was in limbo.

He urged the government to fast-track the process to enable the council to gain access to the funds in order to augment its internal preparations.

“It will certainly hold if this warrant translates into money, so what we can ask right now is for them to expedite action through the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS) process so that it translates into cash for us to be able to go ahead and conduct the examination,” he said on Starr FM midday news.

Mr. Kapi noted that the delays have impacted the council’s preparedness as it has yet to pay for the cost of printing answer booklets and purchasing pencils and other exam materials.