The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has instructed the Ghana Education Service (GES) to take responsibility for paying the electricity bills of Senior High Schools (SHS) to prevent disconnections.
This directive was issued during a session in Tamale, where the Committee reviewed the Auditor-General’s report on the management and utilization of the District Assemblies Common Fund and other statutory funds for the year ending 31st December 2023.
The report revealed that several SHS, including Tamale Business School, Tumu SHS, Wa SHS, and St. Basilide’s Vocational/Technical Institute, owe significant debts to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company Limited (NEDCo).
The PAC urged the GES to step in and settle these debts to avoid service interruptions.
The Committee also determined that expenses related to security should be covered by the Ministry of Interior and National Security.
They emphasized that district assemblies should not use their limited resources to address security concerns in their localities.
The Auditor-General’s report also indicated that the Binduri District Assembly had been paying casual workers less than the national minimum wage of GH¢18.15 per day, which totals over GH¢400 per month.
The Committee directed the Assembly to ensure all workers are paid at least the national minimum wage.
In response, the District Coordinating Director, Mr. Andrew Akumbotum, assured the Committee that the issue had been rectified and would not occur again.
In his closing remarks, PAC Chairman, Hon. James Klutse Avedzi, announced the conclusion of the public hearing in Tamale.
He also noted that the review of the Auditor-General’s reports for the Western North, Ahafo, Bono, Bono East, and Ashanti regions would take place on Thursday, 29th August 2024.
