The Member for Efutu Constituency, Hon. Alexander Kwamina Afenyo Markin has called on the Executive arm of the government to present a bill for a new source of funding for the government’s flagship program, the Free SHS in order to guarantee its success, adding that current sources of funding do not guarantee sustainability.

He revealed that, the GETFund is taking care of other needs of the schools and the educational sector as a whole, hence the need to have a dedicated source of fund for the program.

He indicated that, the fund is mainly for infrastructural expansion, and that Ghanaians will not have the patience for the Minister of Education, especially when there are barely no expansion of educational facilities.

According to the Efutu Legislator, what is needed currently is a dedicated fund which will not be subject to the descression of the Minister of Finance in the release of funds, but rather one that will be able to fund the free SHS with a running governing body.

The Minority Leader and Member for Tamale South, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu on his part noted that, the law is explicit on where the fund should get its source of money from, and that there is no excuse in government or anybody complaining of lack of money.

Section 3 of Article 581 of the Ghana Education Trust Fund provides that, monetary sources for the fund will be two and half percent (2 1/2/%) of the Value Added Tax, He said, and that government must be committed to honoring the law.

He added that GETFund has a mandate, and that the mandate is established under Act 581 of the law.

He further advocated that monies meant for the fund should not go to the Ministry of Finance, but rather directly to the GETfund

Story by Frederick E. Aggrey

 

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