Financial indiscipline, major dilemma of GETfund

Accra, Feb. 26, GNA - Mr. Sam Garba, Administrator of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), on Friday said financial indiscipline was the major dilemma of the Fund.

He said this when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament to be scrutinized on the disbursement of Fund for 2004 and 200= 5. He said there was so much indiscipline in the administration of the fund, which was characterised by overrun budgetary allocations which accumulated over the years.

He said for some years now GH A248, 560,000 was budgeted for but administrators ended up spending GH¢74,473,123. Mr. Garba said the amount was accumulated for a long time and though the money was not siphoned into anybody's pocket, there were n= ew applications considered instead of allowing them to wait for allocation i= n the future.

The committee was wanted to know why the authorities of the fund allocated vehicles to some private tertiary institutions in the country. The committee observed that it was a violation of clause 2 (e) of th= e GETFund law which stated that "The board could provide money to support s= uch other educational activities and programmes for the promotion of educatio= n." Mr. Garba assured PAC that GETFund would ensure that all projects would completed and prudent in applying the funds. 26 Feb. 10