Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has called on government to reconsider the policy of universities remitting part of their internally generated funds to government.
He said at a time when universities were grappling with how to fund teaching, research and other community services, government cannot continue to take away their meagre source of funding for projects.
“I vividly recall the days when universities receive prompt monthly subventions from government. This afforded them the opportunity to properly plan and execute their mandate.
“It is sad to note the prompt payment of subventions has become a thing of the past and universities cannot do any serious planning which is affecting the execution of academic and research activities.
“To compound the problem, the universities cannot rely on internally generated funds to remedy the situation because of a new law recently passed by Parliament which requires that universities must remit 34% of their IGF to government,” the Asantehene said at the climax of a graduation session as part of the 51st congregation ceremony at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
Otumfuo OSei Tutu II, who is also the Chancellor of KNUST, described the remittance policy was “unfair” and one that smacks of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
He said the government must find a more sustainable means of funding the universities.
To ensure effective training of highly skilled personnel, the university has embarked on the construction of an ultra-modern teaching hospital on its campus.
It is aimed at intensifying efforts at training more doctors and other healthcare professionals for the country.
But the project has stalled for several years now. The John Dramani Mahama administration before losing power in 2016, promised the university, it would complete the project as part of its 50th Anniversary.
The Asantehene wants the new government to inherit the promise and deliver on it since government is a continuum.
The Chief Director at the Education Ministry, who gave the speech on behalf of the Education Minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, explained that government will honour the promise of completing the project.
He said government was committed to expanding access to tertiary education.
According to him, an amount of 255 million Ghana cedis representing 32.3% of GETFund resources has been allocated to the tertiary sector for infrastructural development out of which the KNUST medical school will be constructed.
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