The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has clarified that it has received GH¢47 million from the government for the conduct of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), contrary to earlier reports of GH¢80 million.
According to John Kapi, Head of Public Relations at WAEC, the council had only received GH¢2.3 million of the total GH¢95.83 million owed to them, prompting a request for at least 50% of the amount to conduct the examination and additional funds to process and release the results.
“We are still awaiting the payment of the outstanding balance of GH¢48.7 million to enable us to fully settle our debts and conduct the examination smoothly,” Kapi stated.
He added that WAEC had also received a warrant for GH¢47.1 million on Friday afternoon, which was a step in the right direction.
“We appreciate the government’s efforts to settle our debts, but we still need more to be done to ensure the successful conduct of the BECE,” Kapi emphasized.
The BECE is scheduled to take place from July 8 to July 15, 2024, across all centers in the country.
Kapi expressed optimism that the government would fulfill its obligations and settle the outstanding debts before the examination commences.
“We are confident that the government will prioritize the payment of our debts to ensure the smooth conduct of the BECE,” he said.
He also noted that WAEC was working closely with the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service to ensure the success of the examination.
“We are working tirelessly to ensure that the examination is conducted without any hitch, and we urge all stakeholders to support us in this endeavor,” Kapi added.
The development comes after concerns were raised by Yusif Sulemana, the Member of Parliament for Bole-Bamboi, regarding the government’s outstanding debt to WAEC.
Sulemana had called on the government to prioritize the payment of the debt to avoid any disruptions to the examination.
“I urge the government to settle the debt owed to WAEC to ensure the smooth conduct of the BECE,” Sulemana said.
The Ministry of Education has assured that it is working to settle the outstanding debt and ensure the successful conduct of the examination.
“We are committed to supporting WAEC to conduct a successful examination, and we will do everything possible to settle the outstanding debt,” a spokesperson for the ministry said.
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has also weighed in on the issue, calling on the government to prioritize the payment of the debt to avoid any disruptions to the examination.
“We urge the government to settle the debt owed to WAEC to ensure the smooth conduct of the BECE,” GNAT President, Rev. Isaac Owusu, said.
The National Parents and Teachers Association (NPTA) has also expressed concerns about the situation, calling on the government to prioritize the payment of the debt to ensure the successful conduct of the examination.
“We urge the government to settle the debt owed to WAEC to ensure the smooth conduct of the BECE,” NPTA President, Alexander Ankamah, said.
As the examination approaches, stakeholders are urging the government to prioritize the payment of the debt to ensure the successful conduct of the BECE.
