The Acting Managing Director of the Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), Sammy Gyamfi, has explained the rationale behind the government’s decision to continue paying the trainee allowances despite calls from some prominent individuals to scrap the allowances, claiming it has outlived its purpose.
Speaking on TV3’s Morning show “The NewDay,” monitored by Coleman Publications, Sammy Gyamfi revealed that the Mahama-led administration has never stated in its manifesto that it would cancel trainee allowances, as many have stipulated.
“The Mahama administration has always aimed to make the trainee allowances more attractive by ensuring prompt payments and introducing an enhanced loan scheme for those who prefer it in the 2024 manifesto,” Gyamfi stated.
He further explained that trainees are unable to be enrolled in the Student Loan scheme due to the financial challenges faced by the trust fund.
“Adding the trainees to the Student Loan scheme would exacerbate the financial difficulties the SLTF is facing,” Gyamfi noted.
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As a result, the government has decided to allocate GH¢684 million for the payment of trainees’ allowances for the academic year.
Gyamfi emphasized that the Ministry of Education is working tirelessly to ensure that the necessary steps are taken for trainees to receive their payments promptly.
“The Ministry of Education is also exploring the best ways to transition trainees to the Students Loan Trust Fund at the appropriate time if the need be. But for the mean time, they will receive heir allowances,” he added.
However, the Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) has reiterated its stance against the trainee allowances, deeming the allocation for the program in the 2025 budget a “wasteful expenditure.”
In a recent interview, Eduwatch’s Executive Director, Kofi Asare stated, “I don’t think that allocating over 200 million for teacher trainee allowance is a game changer. It is actually a wasteful expenditure, and we encourage the government to depart from that narrative.”
SEE ALSO: Teacher Trainee Allowance to Stay, Transition to Loan Scheme Planned – Education Minister
It should be noted that the Finance Minister, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, and the Mahama-led administration have announced a total allocation of GH¢684 million for the payment of both teacher and nursing trainee allowances for the 2024-2025 academic year.
“We have allocated GH¢203 million for the payment of teacher trainee allowances and another GH¢480 million for nursing trainee allowances,” Dr. Forson confirmed, highlighting the government’s commitment to supporting future educators and healthcare professionals.
He explained that the funding is part of the government’s ongoing effort to invest in education and healthcare.