Gov’t arrears to getfund will soon be paid- Ayariga

The reaction of the government to my notice of a lawsuit on the above subject matter through the minister of information Hon Mahama Ayariga on Citi FM is unfortunate to say the least.

I am in shock to learn that a major sector like the education of our children or the lack of it due to the nonpayment of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFUND) can simply be explained away on the basis of an administrative error which has persisted for twelve months. The minister’s explanation is a total disrespect to the intelligence of Ghanaians.

Value added tax (VAT) is an instant tax that goes into the consolidated fund and of which the law requires 2.5% be paid into the GETFUND within 30 days. This has gone on for twelve months and cannot in the slightest be attributed to an administrative error, most especially when the procedure for paying the monies have long been in existence since 2000.

Ghanaians should note that the minister of Finance, Education and the Attorney General where all served with my notice to sue the government over GETFUND more than 30 days ago in fulfilment of the state proceedings act section 10. The failure of the minister of finance to make payments to GETFUND for the whole of 2013 financial year cannot be an oversight as claimed by the minister of information. Furthermore, if the government was committed to paying the monies, the process would have been activated when I served them notice of a suit over a month ago.

It is a deliberate policy to keep Ghanaians uneducated and miserable to beg for handouts during elections to benefit the ruling government. The diversion of the GETFUND by the minister of finance to fund GYEEDA is a policy to enrich the financiers of the NDC to continue to bankroll the government and the NDC during elections. It is unacceptable and must be stopped with immediate effect. I am most disappointed in the minister of education herself a Prof of Education and a teacher, who has failed to push for the funds to be paid to ensure teaching and learning takes place. Her inaction on this matter has contributed greatly to the accelerated falling standards in education in recent time. I am not in the least amused by the flimsy excuse the government has given to this matter and has therefore instructed my lawyer, Thaddeus Sory not to negotiate under any circumstance with the government on this matter. It shall be settled in the court of law and that is final.

Let me also further serve notice that I will take similar action if the government fails to meet its commitment to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and the Road which are also in arrears over the same period of January – December 2013. Ghanaians cannot continue to suffer as result of the government’s diversion of state resources and our taxes into frivolous and self-seeking programs meant to keep them in power rather than develop the country

Richard Nyamah