Dr. Clement Apaak, Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Education Committee, is demanding answers from Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum on why only Ghc4 million has been approved for the payment of arrears of capitation grants when he previously informed the House that Ghc20 million was being processed.
Education Minister Dr. Yaw Adutwum revealed a week ago that the government was processing the release of GH¢20 million for the payment of capitation grants for public basic schools across the country.
The capitation grants have been in arrears for over seven terms.
The Deputy Ranking Member of the Education Committee, Dr. Clement Apaak, consistently expressed worry over the failure of the government to release funds to pay all outstanding arrears.
Answering questions on the floor of Parliament recently, the Education Minister revealed that efforts have been made to clear the arrears.
“Mr. Speaker, capitation grant arrears of GH¢15 million were disbursed to schools in May 2023 and the remaining arrears of last year amounting to GH¢20 million have been released by the Ministry of Finance and are currently being processed for disbursement. In addition, GH¢4.2 million of this year’s capitation is also being processed for disbursement.”
However, it has emerged that only Ghc4 million has been approved.
Reacting to this, Dr. Apaak slammed the Minister for deceiving the House over the matter.
“The Minister recently told us that Ghc20 million was being processed but at the Committee level, we have been told that only Ghc4 million has been approved though the Munistwr had told me Ghc20 million was being processed.
“The implications of the delay in the disbursement of the capitation grant is that it affects teaching and learning in our public basic schools because the head teachers have to look for their own resources to buy chalk, attendance registers, to fix broken down doors, and windows, and then to renovate dilapidated buildings.”
By: Rashid Obodai Provencal/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
