Haruna Iddrisu
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, has proposed a 5 to 10 percent increase annually on public universities rent fees to help reduce accommodation cost for tertiary students.
In an interview with the media, Mr. Iddrisu proposed the establishment of a committee to recommend permissible annual rent increases for public universities.
He explained that a clearly defined annual adjustment mechanism can help establish a more predictable system for rent increases and discourage arbitrary hikes.
“We do not support exorbitant rent prices being charged across the country. It is my view that we should constitute a committee to advise the Minister of Finance before he proceeds with the Fees and Charges Act on what percentage increase is permissible each year. We can say, for instance, take inflation as a guide, 5 to 10 percent increase annually,” he stated.
Mr. Iddrisu added that a committee should examine the issue and make recommendations to the Finance Minister before implementing the annual fee and charge adjustments.
The proposed committee is expected to advise the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, on the appropriate percentage by which rent charges in public universities should be increased annually under the Fees and Charges Act.
The proposal is aimed at introducing some level of control over rent adjustments as well as ensuring that increases in accommodation costs are reasonable and take prevailing economic conditions, including inflation, into consideration.
The suggestion indicates that the government could consider a more structured approach to rent adjustments in public universities, rather than allowing accommodation charges to rise without a clearly established annual benchmark.
This forms part of the efforts to address exorbitant accommodation costs across tertiary institutions in the country.
By Florence Adom Asamoah