Help private Universities to survive – PUSAG tells Government

Private Universities Students’ Association of Ghana,PUSAG says government must advance policies to help resource private universities making meaningful contributions to development of the country’s human resource.

According to PUSAG,Private Universities in Ghana contributes in no small measure to the country’s education hence government’s support to tertiary institutions must cover Private universities in Ghana as well.

Addressing the media at All Nations University College in Koforidua in the Eastern region on Friday, the external Affairs Chairman and Local Representative of PUSAG ,Ebenezer Appiah -Kubi ,said “Private Universities faces serious challenges .We compete with the Public Universities in area of recruitment and retention of highly qualifies faculty.There is ubiquitous lack of finances for expansion ,research development of modern sports facilities as well as inadequate infrastructure in terms of lecture halls and halls of residence for students and staff”.

Ebenezer Appiah-Kubi mentioned that, “recent salary increment for government workers makes compensation packages of public universities more attractive than what most private Universities can afford ” a situation affecting the private Universities.

He further stated that,unlike the diaspora ,where Private Universities recieve funding from variety of sources including government incentives to support funding of projects ,Private Universities in Ghana do not have access to these funding in Ghana hence rely mainly on internally generated funds and loans that attracts very high interest rate from banks to run the Universities, despite the huge cooperate taxes to government .

PUSAG is therefore calling on government to provide financial assistance to the 61 Private Universities in Ghana to relief it from crippling financial burden.

“Public Universities are subsidized by government and we think it is good and natural for government to assist them ,at the same time ,government should not deprived private Universities of government intervention such as Ghana Education Education Trust Fund(GETFUND) state scholarship and research grants and even subsidized for infrastructure expansion ”

The Press Conference was also used to acknowledge unveil sportsmen and women who excelled in various disciplines during the 10th PUSAG game which ANUC was adjudged the overall best.