Government has not paid a pesewa for ICT, library fees since 2017 for FSHS – Apaak

The deputy ranking member of the Education Committee in Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak, has said the government has not paid a pesewa for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and libraries for Senior High Schools since 2017.

According to him, as part of the Free Senior High School policy, the government was supposed to pay for the ICT for SHSs but has failed to do that.

This comes on the heels of the National Food Buffer Stock Company giving a fourteen-day ultimatum to settle over 200 million cedis owed to the Ghana Food Suppliers Association.

According to the suppliers, since the 2021 academic year, the government has failed to settle arrears of over 200 million cedis, and the association has threatened to stage a protest at the Ministry of Education to press the government on their demands.

Speaking on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban, the spokesperson of the Ghana Food Suppliers Association, Kweku Amedume, said the association will not frustrate the implementation of the Free SHS policy as he took a swipe at the posture of the CEO of Ghana Buffer Stock Company, Abdul Hanan Wahab.

Commenting on the challenges, the Builsa South lawmaker stated that he cannot fathom why the government is adamant about reviewing the FSHS policy.

“As part of the variables that constitute free, the government is supposed to take up the cost of ICT and library fees. Since 2017, the government has not paid even one pesewa. The government has not even regulated even one pesewa to any Senior High School in this country to cover the fee for ICT and the library.

“So the truth is that the programme has challenges. Let’s sit down as a nation and let’s discuss the issues and bring in all the stakeholders, and let’s agree on the way forward,” Dr. Apaak stated on Metro TV.

He continued: “I cannot fathom why the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia NPP government has been so adamant. Almost all stakeholders in the educational space have called for this review. Even the president sometime last year admitted that yes, he has heard the calls and that he is not averse to taking another look at the implementation of the programme and the challenges.”

The Builsa South MP further stated that given what the IMF and Minister for Information have said with regard to Free Senior High School policy and flagship programmes, there should be attempts for a review by now.