Gov’t reaffirms its stance for students to pay their utility bills

• Posted on November 18, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Government has reaffirmed its stance that students must bear the full cost of their utility bills. The idea, government says, is to leverage all resources generated from within and outside by tertiary institutions to meet the bulk of the bills and also agree on the part that can reasonably be supported by the student body.

Government and students have been at each other over the directive that students should pay for their utility bills. Government explains it cannot continue to pay the bills due to its overwhelming nature. Therefore the directive is for the tertiary institutions to pass on the cost to students.

At an induction ceremony for the new Takoradi Polytechnic Professor John Frank Eshun, the Executive Secretary of the National Council for Tertiary Education Professor Salifu insisted that all tertiary institutions must take direct and full responsibility with their utility consumption management.
Some tertiary institutions across the country in recent times have had their power supply knocked off for non – payment of bills. Last month ECG knocked off power supply to the University of Mines and Technology in Tarkwa and the Takoradi Polytechnic.

The two institutions risk legal action should they fail to pay. But Professor Salifu reminded ECG of an agreement for tertiary institutions to have some reprieve.

He however says all bills have been forwarded to the Finance Ministry through the Education Ministry for the necessary action.