Minority issues another ‘empty threat’ …says it won’t do business with Finance Ministry if it fails to release over GH₵100m unpaid capitation grant, DACF backlog

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority members in Parliament have called on President Akufo-Addo to direct the Finance Minister to release the over 100 million Ghana Cedis capitation grant owed to public basic schools.

The NDC Minority Caucus is also calling for the release of all the backlog of District Assemblies Common Found (DACF). “Failure to do so will give us no option than to stop doing business with the Finance Minister.” It warned.

The group stated that the government has failed to disburse the capitation grants to the public basic schools for the past two years thereby affecting the teaching and learning activities of the schools.

Speaking to journalists, the Deputy Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament, Dr. Clement Apaak said there must be timely disbursement of the capitation grants to save the education sector from collapse.

“As I speak to you, the government owes capitation grants for the previous budget year at a whopping amount of 45 million Ghana cedis. For the current year, the request was 60 million and the government brought only 11 million for us to approve. So ideally, the government should be making available capitation grants in excess of 106 million cedis and that is not happening.”

“It is clear that contrary to what we are being made to believe education under Akufo-Addo is unsurpassed is a blatant lie. You cannot convince us that you cannot provide the needed resources for the foundation that is basic.

“You owe capitation grants for two years, the headmasters are having to borrow and because of that many parents are becoming disillusioned in basic school, so you can’t tell me that this is a president that has prioritised education in Ghana.” He said.

Story: Kwadwo Buabeng