GETFUND presents four vehicles to UDS

Tamale, Jan 30, GNA - The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) is expected to received 600 billion cedis accruing from the Valued Added Tax (VAT) this year, Mr Fosuaba Banahene, Administrator of the GETFUND announced in Tamale on Thursday.

He said the amount would be used for the infrastructural development and logistics support of tertiary and pre-tertiary institutions throughout the country.

Mr Banahene was speaking during the presentation of four vehicles comprising two 58-seater Tata buses, one BMC cargo truck, and a 14-seater Nissan Urvan bus procured at a total cost of 173,000 dollars to the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale.

He announced that the government owed the GETFUND 208.8 billion cedis at the end of 2000/2002 but had remained current with all its commitment to the Fund as at last year.

He said the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning had settled part of the arrears the government owed the Fund.

Mr Banahene noted that the UDS was a young and deprived university and pledged that the Fund would do everything possible to support it to achieve its mission goals and objectives.

He said the GETFUND had provided funds for the construction of a library, science laboratory, classroom blocks, bungalows and clinic for the university.

The Fund, he said, had also supported the construction of a students' hostel, an administrative block and an information and communication technology centre equipped with computers for the training of the students.

The Administrator commended the Vice Chancellor of UDS, Professor John Kaburise for the judicious use of resources and logistics allocated to the university.

Mr Banahene warned that the GETFUND would not provide funds for school property that students destroyed through violent demonstrations. He therefore advised school authorities and students to take good care of projects and equipment that the Fund had provided them.

Prof Kaburise, who received the keys to the vehicles, thanked the Fund for the support to the UDS, especially in the area of capacity building, provision of means of transport and infrastructure development.

He commended the Fund for providing separate financing for research work at the university, saying, "UDS is now in position to fund its own research projects"