GOVERNMENT HAS endorsed the payment of outstanding stipends for some 9,235 out of 18,001 beneficiaries under the Nation Builder’s Corps programme who did not receive their stipends last year.
Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Minister of Information, who disclosed this at the first edition of the 2019 Meet-the-Press encounter in Koforidua, said NABCO stipends for last year were fully funded from the 2018 budget as a result of which payments commenced for some 77,907 beneficiaries.
However, 18,001 of the beneficiaries did not receive their stipends for various reasons.
In the process, the further processing of the payroll had to be halted for the data set to be corrected hence the delay.
“Indeed, the NABCO secretariat sent messages to beneficiaries to correct their data for it to be re-entered into the system. The secretariat informs us that 9,235 of them have now corrected their data and thus will be paid this week. Their December and regular stipends are also programmed to be paid immediately afterwards,” Mr. Oppong Nkrumah disclosed.
He added that 8,766 other beneficiaries still have outstanding data issues and are encouraged to correct their data so that they could be paid as soon as possible.
“It must be noted, however, that some 2,105 have been found to be already employed on other government programmes such as YEA, NSS, Forestry Commission Payroll, MoH Nursing Training Institution or already employed in other sectors. The secretariat informs us that such persons will be exited from the programme,” he added.
Since October 2018, a total of 1,098 have also notified the secretariat of their intention to exit to other employment schemes.
“These voluntary exits are expected to continue as government continues to recruit into the public services. This will create more vacancies on the NABCO roll and will give the secretariat room to get on board persons who are on the waiting list and have not been placed yet,” Oppong Nkrumah indicated.
“It is for this reason that even after placing the first 100,000 beneficiaries, others were left on a waiting list. Those on this waiting list who have not been placed may be placed as vacancies open up based on the aforementioned reasons,” he added.
Education Project
He further said government had secured a $60 million facility for the implementation of the Phase 2 of the University of Allied Sciences Project in Ho in the Volta Region.
According to him, under the bilateral agreement which was reached between Ghana and China, the project was expected to enhance higher education in medicine, promote advanced medical care and also provide jobs in the health sector.
In September 2015, the first phase of the university funded by the Chinese government was officially handed over to Ghana. It covered a land area of 10,386 square metres and comprised the School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences, lecture halls, libraries, student housing facilities and senior staff residential area.
He added that the Phase 2 would cover a total floor area of 29,200 square metres comprising a central administration block and other supporting facilities such as the desks, chairs and computers as well as teaching aids for medical specialty.
He explained that the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta and the Chinese Ambassador Wang Shitin, had signed an MoU to that effect, adding that government was pleased about the agreement and wished to work together to enhance the already strong and cordial relations between Ghana and China.
FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua