Cabinet has directed utility companies to exempt all public health and educational institutions from the ongoing nationwide disconnection exercise.
[contextly_sidebar id=”zXKU16FrkEyyuo6ic0464lMtQx2yCByS”]A statement signed by a Deputy Education Minister in charge of pre-tertiary, Alex Kyeremeh said the directive was given due to the critical services the institutions render to the general public.
The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) have been disconnecting public institutions which owe them millions of Ghana cedis in unpaid bills.
This follows a directive from the Finance Ministry to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other public institutions to foot their own utility bills to ease the financial burden on government.
As a result, the utility companies have been on the heels of the institutions to settle their accumulated debts or face a disconnection.
Public tertiary institutions had thus decided to share the cost of utility bills with students but this decision has been vehemently opposed by student leaders who have vowed to resist any attempt by the government and school authorities to impose that policy on them.
The Education Minister last month announced that although it has been consulting with student leaders and other stakeholders on the matter, the policy is yet to be implemented.
Nonetheless, the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) demanded an official letter to support what they called “verbal assurances by the Minister.”
The statement from the Ministry is therefore to officially announce that “government has not taken any decision for students in tertiary institutions to pay utility bills in the next academic year.”
It added that “government’s policy regarding subsidy on water and electricity for tertiary students remain unchanged.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana