Stakeholders in the public tertiary educational
sector in Ghana and government have jointly agreed that utilities provision to
the public institution will be cost sharing among all parties.
According to a declaration signed on the
25th March, 2015 in Accra by all the stakeholders in the public tertiary
educational sector, they agreed that the cost of utilities in public tertiary education
institutions will be shared between the Government, tertiary education
institutions, staff, and students.
The declaration states that Government will
bear the cost of utilities supplied to academic, (teaching and learning, research
and facilities) health and administrative facilities in public tertiary education
institutions.
However, students on campus will bear the
cost of utilities in students’ residential facilities especially as more than 70%
of students currently live in private hostels off campus and pay for their utilities
thus creating an unfair arrangement where Government subsidies benefit only the
30% minority.
Similarly, tertiary education institutions
will pay the cost of utilities supplied to commercialised units such as guest houses,
restaurants, printing presses and commercial agricultural products processing units
and etc.
Also, staff occupying residential facilities
owned by public tertiary education institutions should continue to bear the
cost of utilities supplied to those facilities.
Signatory to the declaration were Prof. Naana
Jane Opoku-Agyemaang, Minister for Education; Prof. Otoo Ellis, Chairman, Vice-Chancellors,
Ghana; Prof. N.N Nsowah Nuamah President, Committee of Polytechnic Rectors; Rev.
Elizabeth Amoako-President, Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education; Mr.
Prosper Dzitse-President, National Union of Ghana Students; Prof. Mahama
Duwiejua-Executive Secretary, National Council for Tertiary Education; and Sulemana
Hakim-President , Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students.
Participants at the meeting were the
Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education, the National Accreditation Board,
the University Teachers Association of Ghana, Polytechnic Teachers Association of
Ghana, the Colleges of Education Teachers Association of Ghana, the Ghana Academy
of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate Students Association of Ghana and among
others.
Below is the declaration.
JOINT DECLARATION ON UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF UTILITIES IN PUBLIC TERTIARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN GHANA
MARCH 25,
2015 (UPSA DECLARATION)
INTRODUCTION
Representatives of major stakeholders in tertiary education in Ghana, suppliers
of public utilities
and allied institutions met at the auditorium of the University of Professional Studies Accra, at the instance
of the Ministry of
Education, on 25th March, 2015 to:
·
Discuss strategies for
sustainable consumption of
utilities in
tertiary education institutions;
·
Craft
innovative alternative means of providing
utilities in tertiary
education institutions; and
·
Make recommendations to inform Government policy regarding the utilization of utilities
in tertiary education institutions.
PARTICIPANTS
The stakeholders who participated in the meeting
were the National Council for Tertiary Education
, the Vice-Chancellors, Ghana,
the Committee of Polytechnic Rectors,
the Conference of Principals of Colleges of Education , the National
Accreditation Board , the University Teachers Association of Ghana,
Polytechnic Teachers Association of Ghana, the Colleges of Education
Teachers Association of Ghana,
the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences,
the Graduate Students Association of Ghana, the National Union of Ghana
Students, the Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students,
the Ghana National Education Campaign Coalition,
the Ghana Education
Service , the Council for Vocational and Technical Education, the Electricity Company
of Ghana , the Energy Commission , the Fair Wages and Salaries
Commission , the Ghana National
Association of Teachers , the Concerned Teachers Association of Ghana and Controller and Accountant General’s
Department .
OBSERVATIONS
Stakeholders assessed different perspectives on utilization and management of utilities
in tertiary education institutions and observed
that:
1. Different
electrical appliances used by students in tertiary education
institutions and the manner by which these appliances are used contribute to wastage in the use of electricity in tertiary education
institutions.
2.
There is need to reduce wastage in the use of utilities and ensure sustainable use of water and
electricity in public tertiary education institution.
3. Electricity and water are used in academic,
administrative, health, commercialized and residential facilities in tertiary education institutions. Thus, there is the need for the application of a metering
system that differentiates the various users of utilities, to make users of utilities
in residential facilities responsible for the payment of tariffs charged on the use of
utilities.
4.
Energy Commission’s recommended standards on electrical appliances have not been applied and enforced in tertiary
education institutions to foster the conservation of electricity.
5.
In spite of the rapidly increasing cost of utilities in tertiary
education institutions resulting from expansion in enrolments and consequently the growth in the volume of activities performed by public tertiary
education institutions. The Government of Ghana has been solely responsible for the payment
of tariffs on utilities in public tertiary education institutions. Government’s sole responsibility for the payment of the cost of utilities used in tertiary education
institutions is not sustainable.
6.
Alternative sources of water and electricity such as rain and underground water, as well as biogas and solar energy have not been exploited to supplement traditional sources
of supply of water
and electricity.
7.
Modern technologies in lighting
and management of electricity and water have not been applied
extensively to reduce the consumption of utilities
in tertiary education
institutions. Such technologies
may
include the LED
lamps and motion sensors.
8. There is limited
research on alternative sources of supply of electricity and water in public tertiary
education institutions.
9.
Students and
staff have not been educated
adequately on the efficient
use of utilities.
10. Generally, policies and regulations on the use of utilities
are lacking in public
tertiary education institutions.
DECLARATION
In view of the foregoing, we afore-named stakeholders in public tertiary
education in Ghana jointly
declare that:
COST SHARING
1. The cost of utilities
in public tertiary
education institutions should be shared between
the Government , tertiary education
institutions , staff , students as
follows :
a.
Government: Government should
bear the cost of utilities
supplied to academic,
(teaching and learning, research and facilities)
health and administrative facilities in public tertiary
education institutions.
b.
Students: Students on campus
should bear the cost of utilities
in students’ residential facilities especially as more than 70% of students
currently live in private hostels off campus and pay for their utilities thus creating
an unfair arrangement where Government subsidies benefit
only the 30% minority.
c.
Tertiary Education Institutions: Tertiary education
institutions should
pay the cost of utilities supplied to commercialised units such as guest houses, restaurants, printing presses
and
commercial agricultural
products processing units and etc.
d.
Staff: Staff occupying
residential facilities owned by public tertiary education institutions should continue
to bear the cost of utilities supplied to those
facilities.
In view of the above, different metering
systems should be applied to segregate different users of utilities
in tertiary education institutions.
EXPLOITATION OF ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY
1.
Tertiary education
institutions should contribute to finding solutions to the
endemic water and electricity supply challenges facing the nation by devoting part of their resources
to research and
development in alternative sources of electricity and
water supply.
2. Alternative sources of water and electricity such as rain and underground water, biogas and solar energy should be exploited
to supplement traditional sources of supply of water and
electricity in tertiary education
institutions.
MANAGEMENT OF UTILITIES
1. Modern technologies in lighting
and management of electricity and water should be adopted
to improve the efficiency with which utilities
are utilized in tertiary education institutions.
2.
Policies and regulations on the use of utilities should be developed to guide the use of utilities in tertiary education institutions.
3.
Task forces should
be set up in tertiary education
institutions to educate
students and staff on efficient use of utilities and
enforce policies and regulations on the use of utilities.
4.
Energy Commission’s recommendations on standards
on electrical appliances should be adopted and enforced in tertiary
education institutions to foster the conservation of electricity.
Prof.
Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemaang Minister of Education
Prof.
Otoo Ellis
(Chairman
, Vice-Chancellors, Ghana)
Prof.
N.N Nsowah Nuamah (President
, Committee of Polytechnic Rectors)
Rev.
Elizabeth Amoako
(President
, Conference of Principals of Colleges
of Education)
Mr. Prosper Dzitse
(President , National Union of Ghana Students)
Prof.
Mahama Duwiejua
(Executive
Secretary, National Council for Tertiary
Education)
Issued
in Accra by the NCTE on behalf of
the Ministry of Education
and stakeholders.
Sulemana
Hakim
(President
, Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students)
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