GOV’T MUST SUPPORT PRIVATE TERTIARY UNIVERSITIES ….. PUSAG

Private Universities Students Association of Ghana [PUSAG] have made a passionate appeal to government to take a second look at the GETfund ACT that makes it difficult for private universities to benefit from the fund.

The Association further expressed concerns on the response of government and the recommendations of the Council for Tertiary Education on the petition issued concerning the Get fund, university charter and affiliation and 25% corporate tax.

Speaking at a press briefing in Accra ,the President of PUSAG, Mohammed Adams said Government and the Ministry of Education have failed to fulfill all promises made towards their[ private universities' needs and requirement needed from Government.

Mohammed Adams said none of the private universities as at now is benefiting from the Get fund because of the provision of the GETFUND ACT.

This he said has created a lot of dilemma of wondering whether the current governments disregard the need for private universities. ''If portion of GETFUND is going to be made available to support activities of GYEEDA why not the private universities'' he asked.

On the issue of university affiliation and charter, PUSAG is calling on Government to give charter status to all member institutions that have been accredited for ten years and over and have their own campuses and meet charter requirement.

“The issue of affiliation is a headache to member institutions in the sense that some of the universities are in their 17th year and that some are still charged with high fees”.

“We therefore ask that all private universities that have been accredited for 10years or more, that have their own campuses and meet the requirements of a charter, be granted university charter as soon as possible,without the long bureaucratic processes instituted to milk private universities”. he said.

Again he touched on the twenty five percent (25%) corporate tax on private universities, he said the tax on the profit of member institutions is on the high side and therefore must be reduced to 10% if not, reversed to its former status of tax free because institutions must embark on expansion projects.

According to him ,the current tax rate of 25% is going a long way in increasing the burden on students through fee payments.

PUSAG therefore called on the president and the Ministry of Education to take a second look at the way and manner in which private universities and students are been treated in the country since they may directly or indirectly be beneficiaries of such institutions.