Teacher Professional Allowance Deduction: This is what triggered the deductions, an insider gives accounts
The 2021 payment of the teacher professional allowance has many deductions including income tax. This was revealed by validators of various management units within the Ghana Education Service (GES) during the November validation processes.
There have been a lot of mixed reactions among the members of the chalk fraternity as to what triggered the said deductions.
However, the various associations of the teachers have refused to react after the Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD) revealed that the teacher unions collaborated with the GES to authorize every deduction that occurred during the November validation for salary payment.
An insider has given a true account of what triggered the deductions of the 2021 teacher professional development allowance by giving an in-depth analysis based on the explanation given by the General Secretary and the president of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT).
According to the insider, the true cost of a laptop under the one teacher, one laptop initiative is GHS1550 as quoted by the deputy minister of Education, Hon. Ntim Fordjour.
“The true cost of the laptop is GHS1550. Ghana cedis as quoted by the Deputy Minister of Education. Personally, I have had the opportunity to see the contract and it was GHS1550. The question is; so, what happened with the differences in price quotation?”
In explaining the differences in prices quotation, the insider indicated that the General Secretary of GNAT affirmed the 30% of the total cost to be GHS465 as we all know but not GHS509.
We all remember that NAGRAT and CCT came out with certain figures some months ago telling us that the price was around 1800. “The fact of the matter is that the Employer and by extension the Government did not have their 70% parts of the cost ready. The company ie. KA Technologies needed some down payment for the TM 1 machine”
This is the bone of contention. One of the following groups which the National Council is still investigating and asking for answers from the Principal Officers, that is (Ministry of Education, GES, the three Teacher Unions) contracted a loan from GESOP to pay for the 30% parts of the teacher’s cost. This was because the 70% was not ready and still not ready.
Later, the managers of the GESOP demanded interest on the loan advanced for 30%. From the general secretary, he received a message and because of that interest on the loan, the price of the laptop had to go up around the figures quoted by NAGRAT. They didn’t agree so they had to go back to the government to take up the interest on the loan but the government agreed to pay half and was not ready to pay all.
Hence the remaining interest on the loan was GHS44.00 Ghana cedis. This amount added to the original price of GHS465 which we all know becomes 509.00 and this is the amount being deducted from those who have taken the laptop. Colleagues, as National Council members, we have our doubts about this whole transaction and I personally think one of the parties is hiding some information from us. However, this is the little information I can give to you who elected me to represent you. Any other information we get will be communicated to you in due course. But the fact still remains that per the contract, the price of the TM1 laptop is GHS1550. The only difference now is; Who went for the loan and who should pay for the extra cost, that is the Interest?
