Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ghanaian Times
Published on 2024-03-27 10:13:00
The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) is making a significant commitment of GH¢2.6 billion to contractors in order to complete the fund’s stalled projects throughout the country. This allocation comes after Parliament approved more than GH¢3.9 billion for educational infrastructure projects for the current year.
Dr. Richard Boadu, the Administrator of the Fund, revealed in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra that this amount represents 67% of the total approved by Parliament for financing and arrears payment to contractors who have finished their projects. He explained that there are approximately 3,606 GETFund projects that have been stalled, including administration and library blocks, assembly halls, auditoriums, classroom blocks, dining halls, dormitories/hostels, E-Blocks, kindergarten blocks, lecture halls, model schools, sanitary facilities, staff accommodations, and other projects.
Dr. Boadu provided a detailed breakdown, stating that of the total projects slated for completion this year, 1,835 are at the basic level, 65 are E-Blocks, nine are model SHSs, 1347 are SHS projects, 347 are tertiary projects, and three are in the TVET category. The Ashanti Region has the highest number of projects at 638, followed by the Central Region with 495 and the Eastern Region with 458. The Greater Accra and Volta regions together have 588 newly completed projects.
He highlighted that the Bono Region will benefit from 232 projects, while the Upper East and Western regions will each receive 198 and 197 new projects. The Upper West and Northern regions are slated for 166 and 161 new projects, with Bono East, Oti, Western North, and Ahafo regions receiving 103, 100, 93, and 76 new projects respectively. The North East and Savanna regions will see 56 and 35 new projects respectively.
Dr. Boadu expressed gratitude to Parliament for the approval, emphasizing the Board of Trustees’ goal to complete as many stalled projects as possible this year. He noted that all awarding institutions, such as the Funds and Procurement Management Unit of the Ministry of Education, Regional Coordinating Councils, and Municipal District Assemblies, are tasked with reactivating the construction phase of stalled projects in their jurisdictions.
The Fund is dedicated to finishing a substantial portion of its uncompleted projects in order to improve the administration of educational institutions and enhance the delivery of quality education. As for the remaining GH¢1.2 billion, Dr. Boadu explained that it will be utilized for activities such as scholarships, provision of desks and furniture, budgetary support for agencies under the Ministry of Education, and more in the upcoming fiscal year.
In conclusion, the GETFund’s commitment to completing stalled projects and investing in educational infrastructure across Ghana demonstrates its dedication to improving education delivery and enhancing learning environments for students nationwide.
Read the original article on Ghanaian Times



