Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Education Minister
THE government has requested Parliament to waive domestic VAT amounting to the cedi equivalent of US$3,155,244.88 on local purchases and services in respect of the rehabilitation and upgrading of equipment in technical universities, polytechnics and technical and vocational training centres.
The request is being made at the instance of the Government Concessional Loan Agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China for fundamental reforms in the technical educational sector, which was launched and introduced last year.
The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, referred the request to the Finance Committee of Parliament for consideration and report.
Government intends to mainstream technical and vocational education as the first choice for students, the Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, stated during a joint sod-cutting ceremony with the Vice-Premier of China, Sun Chunlan, in Tema on November 12, 2019.
He indicated that a total of 15 technical universities, polytechnics, technical and vocational training centres across the country were expected to be upgraded to world-class status as part of the plan.
According to him, about GH¢50 million will be invested in each of the 15 institutions made up of five technical universities and 10 technical and vocational institutions.
Part of the fund will be used to cover expenses for staff training, installation of modern equipment and the supply of spare parts for a period of two years.
He named some of the beneficiary institutions as the technical universities in Kumasi, Cape Coast, Tamale, Sunyani and the Bolgatanga Polytechnic.
Also included are the Ashaiman Technical Institute, Tema Technical Institute, Kumasi Technical Institute, Komboni Technical Institute in the Volta Region and the Cape Coast Technical Institute in the Central Region.
The others are the St Paul’s Technical Institute in the Eastern Region, Takoradi Technical Institute in the Western Region, Bawku Technical Institute in the Upper East Region, St Joseph’s Technical Institute in the Northern Region and Sunyani Methodist Technical Institute in the Bono Region.
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House