The Western Regional President for the National Association of Teachers (NAGRAT), Mr. Justin Nelson has stated emphatically that government has not made any deduction of an amount of GH¢ 509 from the salaries of teachers as being reported.
For some time now, there has been controversies surrounding the deduction of an amount of GH¢ 509 from the salaries of teachers in the country but Mr. Justin Nelson has cleared the air stating that, the deductions were made to make payment for a loan obtained by the Union from Ghans Educational Service occupation Pention scheme (GHISOPS), managers of teachers tier 2 contributions.
According to him, the President, Nana Addo Danquah mentioned in his 2021 State of the Nations Address that laptop for teachers are being facilitated under the one teacher, one laptop policy.
He explained further that a consensus was reached between government and leadership of the various teacher Unions where government agreed to bare 70 percent of the cost while teachers are expected to bear 30 percent .
Mr. Nelson recounts that the teacher Unions recommended K.A Technology to supply the laptop to the teachers at a price of GH¢1,550 which was later recommended to the government.
The Ministry of Education and Ghana Education Service further took over the processing of the laptop for teachers by K.A technology.
According to Mr. Nelson, there was an initial supply of 280,000 laptops to be provided by K.A technology, teachers unions agreed to go for a loan from their tier 2 from GHISOPS with an interest of 18.16 percent to commence the emergency payment as demanded by the K.A technology before supply. This forms part of their 30 percent contribution in relationship to the advance procurement of laptops from K.A Technology.
Mr. Nelson posits that government has fulfilled his part of the deal and for teachers to fulfill their own part of the deal where each teacher was deducted an amount of GH¢509 from the Professional Development Allowance of GH1200 to make up for the loan acquired from GHISOPS.
