The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) is committing a total of GH¢2.6 billion to contractors to complete the fund’s stalled projects across the country.
This followed the approval by Parliament of more than GH¢3.9 billion for the financing of educational infrastructure projects for this year.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra yesterday, the Administrator of the Fund, Dr Richard Boadu, said this represents 67 per cent of the total amount of GH¢3,935,780, 000 approved for it by the House for the financing and also arrears for payment this year to contractors who have completed their projects.
Giving a further breakdown on the matter, he said, in all there were about 3,606 GETFund projects which had stalled and they include; administration and library blocks, assembly halls, auditorium, classroom blocks, dining halls, dormitory/hostels, E-Blocks, kindergarten block, lecture halls, model schools, sanitary facilities, staff accommodations and other projects.
Dr Boadu who was giving an update on the GETFund stalled projects said of the total number projects earmarked for completion this year, 1,835 were at the basic level, 65 E-Block, nine model SHSs, 1347 SHS, 347 tertiary projects and three at the TVET category.
According to him, the Ashanti Region had the highest number of projects numbering 638, followed by the Central Region with 495 and the Eastern Region with 458 projects.
The Greater Accra and the Volta regions had a combined total of 588 representing newly completed projects respectively.
Dr Boadu said the Bono Region would benefit from 232 projects with the Upper East and Western regions receiving 198 and 197 newly completed projects respectively.
However, he said the Upper West and Northern regions would benefit from 166 and 161 new projects completed by the end of the year, while Bono East, Oti and Western North and Ahafo regions would each receive 103,100, 93 and 76 new projects respectively.
The North East and the Savanna regions would complete the list with 56 and 35 newly completed projects respectively.
The Administrator expressed appreciation to Parliament for the approval, stressing that the objective of the Board of Trustees of the Fund was to complete as many as these initiated projects as possible this year.
He said per the distribution formula all awarding institutions such as the Funds and Procurement Management Unit (FPMU) of Ministry of Education, the Regional Coordinating Councils (RCC) and the Metropolitan, Municipal District Assemblies (MMDAs) were to reactivate the construction phase of all stalled projects under their respective areas of jurisdiction.
Dr Boadu said the Fund was determined to complete a chunk of the uncompleted but stalled projects in its projects portfolio in order to enhance the administration of educational institutions thereby improving quality education delivery.
Touching on the remaining GH¢1.2 billion, Dr Boadu said it would be used to fund other activities such as scholarships, provision of desks and furniture, budgetary and support for all the agencies under the Ministry of Education, among others for the ensuing fiscal year.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL