The National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) has instructed all public tertiary education institutions to continue charging last year’s fees.
In a statement signed by the Executive Secretary of the Council, Professor Mohammed Salifu, the directive is supposed to be implemented as an interim measure pending parliament’s approval of the institution’s newly proposed fees.
Portions of the statement read, “However, considering that this may take a while, and in order not to unduly delay the reopening of tertiary education institutions for the 2017/2018 Academic Year, you are advised to ensure that your fees and charges in the mean time reflect same levels as in the 2016/2017 Academic Year”.
The directive also instructs all public tertiary institutions to as a matter of necessity submit all fees and charges for consideration and approval.
This, the statement indicates, is in accordance with the requirements of Fees and Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 (Act 793) and Amendment Instrument 2016 (L.1.2228).
By this law, all public universities and polytechnics are required to seek parliamentary approval of the fees they intend to charge students through the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE).
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The legislative instrument seeks to safeguard the public against arbitrary and haphazard charges and levying of students by universities and polytechnics but all these institutions but one have never complied.
Meanwhile, some public universities and polytechnics have already started charging their students the new unapproved fees which has resulted in a public outcry and protest.
The latest of such protests being students of University of Ghana city campus who petitioned the Speaker of Parliament on the issue.
The chairman of the Subsidiary Legislation of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Bawku Central Mahama Ayariga has also recently threatened to drag the universities to court for flouting the law.
In a related development, the University Students Association of Ghana has asked their members [students of various universities] not pay the unapproved fees until they are approved by parliament.
By P.D Wedam |3news.com| Ghana
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