The Ghanaian government has reportedly made significant progress in settling its debt with the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC), as confirmed by Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh.
This development comes after WAEC raised concerns about the possibility of postponing the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) due to financial constraints.
According to the Director of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, the council requires approximately GH₵90 million to conduct the exams. While the exam papers have been printed, the lack of funds has hindered the distribution of the papers and the deployment of WAEC officials to monitor the exams. As a result, there is a likelihood that the examination may have to be postponed until the necessary funds are secured.
During a parliamentary session, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, Yusif Sulemana, urged the Education Minister to prioritize clearing the debt owed to WAEC. He expressed concern about the financial challenges faced by WAEC and stressed the urgency of resolving the issue to ensure the smooth conduct of the BECE exams for the benefit of students.
In response, Frank Annoh-Dompreh informed the parliament that a significant amount of up to GH₵80 million had been released to address the debt concerns with WAEC. However, Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza, contested this claim, stating that the NDC Minority caucus was not aware of any such payment amount. He cited information received from Minister of State, Abena Osei-Asare, indicating that only 40 million cedis had been paid with a total of 93 million owed for the BECE.
As the government and opposition parties continue to navigate the issue of the outstanding debt with WAEC, the education sector remains under scrutiny to ensure a seamless administration of the upcoming BECE exams.
