The restoration of nursing and teaching trainee allowances will take effect at the start of new school year, President Nana Addo Dankwa-Akufo-Addo has announced.
He gave the hint when he delivered his opening remarks at the maiden media encounter held at the seat of government Tuesday July 18, 2017.
The ruling government in 2016 promised to restore the scrapped allowances in full should they get the nod to rule.
Government in 2014 scrapped teacher trainee allowance, but there have been several calls to compel government to reintroduce it.
Recently, trainee nurses in the Upper East Region warned that the status of allowances would influence their vote in the in December polls.
Government said the decision allowed it to expand various health and educational infrastructure in the country as well as remove the restrictions on admission to the various training institutions.
In July 2016, the previous NDC government said it had restored allowances for trainee nurses after a technical committee set up by the President to review the allowances for nursing trainees, recommended payment of an abated allowance with a possibility to migrate them unto the Students Loan Scheme.
But the current administration assured nurses and teacher trainees it will restore their scrapped allowances 3 months after it has been elected into office.
Speaking to nurses at the Pantang hospital in Accra during a campaign tour, Dr. Bawumiah accused government of scrapping the allowances of trainees due to its high indebtedness from excessive borrowing and the accompanying interest payments.
“They [NDC] have borrowed so much, just one year’s interest payment can pay teacher training and nurses training allowances for 42 years, and that is why Nana Akufo-Addo has given his word, when we come [into office] the very first budget before march 2017, we will restore and teacher training and nurses training allowance,” Bawumiah said.
The president delivering his remarks today [Tuesday] said, ‘’nurses and teacher training allowances have been restored to take effect at the start of the new school year.’’
Source: rainbowradioonline.com