Wholesale Free SHS: Govt has realized it has bitten more than it can chew - Kofi Asare

Executive Director of Eduwatch, Kofi Asare has insisted that the government must allow parents to take some of the costs of the education of their education under the Free Senior High School (Free SHS) programme especially in the provision of school uniforms, textbooks, and Physical Education kits.

He said every year, the government spends over GHS150million on the provision of uniforms, textbooks and kits but that is not sustainable.

He said these on News 360 on TV3 Tuesday, July 18 while commenting on the release of the GHS100 million to pay the food suppliers under the free senior high school programme.

Kofi Asare said “I think that the government itself has realized that it has bitten more than it can chew and that it is time to eat a humble pie and then allow parents to contribute by way of school uniforms, PE kits, textbooks because these are necessary expenditures, they amount to over GHS150million every year.

“So government should take a second look at it and then ask parents to come in to support it.”

Regarding the food suppliers’ issues, the Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong told Parliament on Tuesday, July 18 that an amount of GHS100 million cedis out of the GHS203 million owed to the food suppliers had been transferred into the accounts.

He said by Wednesday, July 19, the first part of the arrears will be paid and the remaining arrears will be settled by 17th August.

He said these while making a statement in parliament after the Speaker summoned him and the Ministers of Finance and of Education Ken Ofori-Atta and Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum respectively over the issue of the food suppliers.

“We still owe suppliers a little above GHS203 million.

Last week we received GHS100 million which is 50 percent of what is due the suppliers, we have transferred same through the processes to buffer stock.

We are hoping that by midweek this week that  50 percent will be sent to the suppliers.

“I have also assured the suppliers that as we commence the payment of the 50 percent on the 17th of July,  by the 17th of August the remaining 50 percent will be paid.”

The Agric Minister’s comments came at a time a spokesperson for the National Food Suppliers Association, Koku Amedume said that they would not accept partial payments as the government reschedules payment to them.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture assured that their funds had been released for payment to be made by Wednesday, July 19.

Addressing the press on Monday, July 17, he said “We are expecting full settlement of our money because our money has been long overdue, interest has accumulated, banks are on us to take our properties, members are languishing in abject poverty

“We can no longer accept a meager payment in the settlement, we are here to take the full payment and we are interested in the full payment without which we will resume our picketing right after Thursday.”