Ministry suspends applications for laptops

The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), has suspended receipt of fresh applications for the free ‘Better Ghana Agenda’ rlg laptops.

The ministry said it had received more than enough applications which were processed and hence the need to suspend receiving fresh applications until the backlog was cleared.

Mrs Florence Boakye-Badoe, Head of Public Affairs of MEST, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra on Thursday.

She said the objective of the ‘Better Ghana Agenda’ Information and Communication Technology free laptop distribution project was to provide schools and all Ghanaian students with specially designed laptops suitable for learning.

She said it aimed at empowering the Ghanaian students to learn using computer programmes and also have better tools to connect, as well as to have easy access to information.

Mrs Boakye-Badoe said rlg did the assembling of the laptops and was only when there was enough to meet the demand that the ministry took delivery for distribution.

She said the MEST, Ministry of Education and rlg were all involved in the distribution of the laptops.

She said the ministry had supplied laptops to schools and students, especially second cycle and tertiary institutions, across the country.

She asked students in Accra to stop loitering around the ministry because it was only when their names had been published in the press that they could walk to any rlg office in the regions with a valid student identity card to collect the laptop.

Explaining the procedure for application for the laptops, Mrs Boakye-Badoe said one only needed to be a Ghanaian student in a second cycle or tertiary institution and could apply with a photocopy of a valid student identity endorsed by the school authorities.

She said the ministry had in place a committee that assessed all applications and it was only when their approval was given that the laptops would be given out.