59 e-blocks completed so far - GETFund sets records straight

Re: THE NUMBER OF E-BLOCKS (COMMUNITY DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS) COMPLETED BY END OF DECEMEBER 2016 The attention of Board of Trustees and the Management of GETFund has been drawn to a raging political media debate on the number of Community Day schools (E-Blocks) that were initiated and completed by the end of the year 2016. Particular reference would be made to a Facebook publication by the National Communications Officer, National Democratic Congress, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, on his wall on Monday, 2 October, 2022. This publication in summary claimed the erstwhile Government contracted one hundred and twenty-four (124) and completed about fifty (50) E-Blocks between 2014 and 2016. Ordinarily, GETFund would have not responded to such typical debates within the political communications sphere. However, for the purposes of public records and research interests, it is incumbent on the Managers of the entity that funded the projects to set the records straight on this very important national subject matter. The Fund, therefore, wishes to respond as follows: 1. From 2014 - 2016, the Government of Ghana awarded hundred and one (101) contracts on E-Blocks on the accounts of GETFund. 2. Within the same period, the World Bank, via its Secondary Education Improvement Projects (SEIP) financing agreement with the Ministry of Education, also awarded twenty-three (23) E-Block projects. 3. GETFund payments protocols to contractors on works done and certified by Consultants indicate each stage of project completion and the subsequent works to be carried out. 4. All the projects were results based oriented. That is the project is subdivided into stages of completions. For instance, the first thirty percent (30%) is completed by the contractor. Interim payment certificates are raised. The contractor gets paid and he/she proceeds to with the next stage of completion. These rituals are followed religiously until each project is completed and handed over to the Ministry of Education for usage. 5. GETFund has dates and records of all these stages for each E-Block. This demonstrates that it should not be difficult to determine when a E-Block project got started and completed. 6. By the end of the year 2016, twenty-two (22) of the E-Blocks being funded by GETFund were completed. 7. Within the same period, seven (7) of the World Bank funded E-Blocks were completed. 8. This brings the total completed E-Blocks by the end of the year 2016 to twenty-nine (29) 9. By the end of the year 2020, thirty (30) additional E-Blocks had been completed. 10. Out of these, fourteen (14) were funded by GETFund and sixteen (16) by the World Bank. 11. Ministry of Education in 2018 reviewed and terminated twenty (27) out of the hundred and one (101) 12. Currently, there are outstanding thirty-eight (38) E-Blocks which are in various stages of completion. 13. These thirty-eight (38) E-Blocks have been categorized into two (Il) phases. 14. Phase One (I) is made up of twenty-one (21) selected schools. GETFund has sanctioned clearance for the Ministry of Education to review the old rates as contracted since they are outdated and economically not viable. 15. The Phase two (Il) will comprise the other seventeen (17) ongoing ones. Successful completions of these projects as planned will total a ninety-seven (97) E-Blocks; GETFund (74) and World Bank (23). 16. It must be placed on record that, GETFund has funded facility upgrades (dormitories) in some of the hard-to-reach E-Block schools. 17. Hope this will serve as authoritative reference point on the subject matter on E-Blocks going forward.

Re: THE NUMBER OF E-BLOCKS (COMMUNITY DAY SECONDARY SCHOOLS) COMPLETED BY END OF DECEMEBER 2016 The attention of Board of Trustees and the Management of GETFund has been drawn to a raging political media debate on the number of Community Day schools (E-Blocks) that were initiated and completed by the end of the year 2016. Particular reference would be made to a Facebook publication by the National Communications Officer, National Democratic Congress, Mr. Sammy Gyamfi, on his wall on Monday, 2 October, 2022. This publication in summary claimed the erstwhile Government contracted one hundred and twenty-four (124) and completed about fifty (50) E-Blocks between 2014 and 2016. Ordinarily, GETFund would have not responded to such typical debates within the political communications sphere. However, for the purposes of public records and research interests, it is incumbent on the Managers of the entity that funded the projects to set the records straight on this very important national subject matter. The Fund, therefore, wishes to respond as follows: 1. From 2014 - 2016, the Government of Ghana awarded hundred and one (101) contracts on E-Blocks on the accounts of GETFund. 2. Within the same period, the World Bank, via its Secondary Education Improvement Projects (SEIP) financing agreement with the Ministry of Education, also awarded twenty-three (23) E-Block projects. 3. GETFund payments protocols to contractors on works done and certified by Consultants indicate each stage of project completion and the subsequent works to be carried out. 4. All the projects were results based oriented. That is the project is subdivided into stages of completions. For instance, the first thirty percent (30%) is completed by the contractor. Interim payment certificates are raised. The contractor gets paid and he/she proceeds to with the next stage of completion. These rituals are followed religiously until each project is completed and handed over to the Ministry of Education for usage. 5. GETFund has dates and records of all these stages for each E-Block. This demonstrates that it should not be difficult to determine when a E-Block project got started and completed. 6. By the end of the year 2016, twenty-two (22) of the E-Blocks being funded by GETFund were completed. 7. Within the same period, seven (7) of the World Bank funded E-Blocks were completed. 8. This brings the total completed E-Blocks by the end of the year 2016 to twenty-nine (29) 9. By the end of the year 2020, thirty (30) additional E-Blocks had been completed. 10. Out of these, fourteen (14) were funded by GETFund and sixteen (16) by the World Bank. 11. Ministry of Education in 2018 reviewed and terminated twenty (27) out of the hundred and one (101) 12. Currently, there are outstanding thirty-eight (38) E-Blocks which are in various stages of completion. 13. These thirty-eight (38) E-Blocks have been categorized into two (Il) phases. 14. Phase One (I) is made up of twenty-one (21) selected schools. GETFund has sanctioned clearance for the Ministry of Education to review the old rates as contracted since they are outdated and economically not viable. 15. The Phase two (Il) will comprise the other seventeen (17) ongoing ones. Successful completions of these projects as planned will total a ninety-seven (97) E-Blocks; GETFund (74) and World Bank (23). 16. It must be placed on record that, GETFund has funded facility upgrades (dormitories) in some of the hard-to-reach E-Block schools. 17. Hope this will serve as authoritative reference point on the subject matter on E-Blocks going forward.