Covid-19: Over 6,000 Private Schools Chase Govt Stimulus Package

Over 6,000 private schools have applied for government’s stimulus package.

The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has disclosed.

“We have received over 6,000 applications from schools whose desire is to access part of the Government’s stimulus package/financial support and it is within our mandate to probe further to ascertain the authenticity of provided information presented to the Council so that Government will be in a good position to approve every school that meets the requirements of a school in good standing,” the Director of International Relations/Business Corporation of the Council, Mr. Steve Revss said in a statement posted on the council’s social media page.

Mr. Revss emphasized that “government is ready to support schools in this trying times but there is a need also, to position ourselves as recognised private educational institutions and reliable stakeholders in order to benefit from the national cake.”

The council which has published the names of the schools in question said the list covers those who have successfully submitted their information through the council’s portal and have met the necessary requirements such as TIN numbers, company registration details, GPS location, bank details among others.

He assured the private schools and Government that since the NBSSI has opened its doors for companies to apply for part of the 600 million government stimulus package, the council has also put in more pragmatic measures by meticulously verifying all submitted information at its disposal to ensure that the collective data that would be submitted finally to the Government through the NBSSI would be correct and without blemish.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on April 5, announced a soft loan scheme of up to GH¢600 million for SMEs to cushion such firms affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) subsequently developed an online portal to enable small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) across the country access the GH¢600 million stimulus package for businesses.

Making reference to the council’s dealings with its external partners, donors and International Agencies, he said they are also ready to come to the aid of private schools.

Mr Revss disclosed that there are ongoing discussions with many of these organisations.

“Negotiations are far advanced and the Council is confident and quite hopeful that sufficient financial grants would be brought in to ease the burden of private schools.”

The Director of International Relations/Business Cooperation of GNACOPS advised the entire private school stakeholders to frequently use the portal created for them to reach out to the Council and also inform all those who have not yet filled and submitted their information to do so immediately to avoid being late and subsequently disqualified.

---citinewsroom