Funds released for nursing trainee allowances – Finance Minister

The Minister for Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has revealed funds have been released for the payment of nursing trainee allowance for the 2017/2018 and the first semester of the 2018/2019 academic year.

He indicated the payment of the nursing allowance is in fulfillment of the New Patriotic Party’s campaign promise to reinstate nursing trainee allowance on winning power.

The Mahama administration scrapped the payment of the allowances in the 2013/2014 academic year and replaced it with loans from the Student Loan Trust Fund, arguing that it would increase enrolment in the various colleges of education and reduce the financial burden on the government.

But the Nana Akufo-Addo-led NPP promised to reinstate the allowances and indeed did when they won power. The reinstatement of the allowance was occasioned by a ceremony in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo region, which many described as “as a waste of public resources and working hours”.

Read: Gov’t justifies launch of trainee nurses allowance with a ceremony

But addressing parliament Thursday, July 19, on the mid-year budget review, the finance minister said funds have been released to pay all nursing trainees.

“Mr. Speaker, in consonance with the policy to reinstate the nursing trainee allowances, an amount of GH¢311,988,400.00 was allocated in the 2018 budget to pay the allowances of 68,000 trainee nurses for the 2017/2018 and 1st semester of the 2018/2019 academic year.

“As at end June 2018, GH¢122,400,000.00 has been released to pay the allowances of 51,000 beneficiary trainees”, he said.

Mr. Ofori-Atta added that provision has been made in the budget for new students who will gain admission into nursing training college later in the year.

“In October this year, approximately 17,000 new entrants will be admitted as first year students to the various nursing training institutions. Sufficient allocation has been made in the 2018 budget to accommodate the new entrants”, he added.

He also noted “the sum of GH¢177,511,600.00 was allocated for the payment of allowances to 49,032 teacher trainees in the 41 colleges of education across the country”.

By P.D Wedam|3news.com|Ghana