Government's Plan To Deduct 10% Of Teachers’ Salaries As Rent Strongly Opposed by NAGRAT

Government's Plan To Deduct 10% Of Teachers’ Salaries As Rent Strongly Opposed by NAGRAT

  • The government wants to start deducting 10% of teachers' salaries as rent for living in state bungalows.
  • The plan by the government has been heavily criticised by the National Association for Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).
  • NAGRAT President, Angel Carbonu, has said teachers already earn very meagre salaries and so the rental charges will be unfair.

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The government’s notice to teachers living in state bungalows that 10% of their salaries will be deducted to pay rent is being opposed by the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT).

The Ghana Education Service (GES) explained in a notice issued over the weekend that the 10% that will be deducted is part of the government’s efforts to streamline anomalies with rent payment for teachers and staff at the senior high school living in bungalows.

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The GES notice cited a May 2006 circular released by the Ministry of Finance which first announced that occupants of government bungalows are expected to pay 10% of their salary as rent.

Angel Carbonu teacher
NAGRAT's Angel Carbonu (R) has said the plan to deduct teachers' salaries as rent is insensitive. Source: Facebook/@pencilsofpromise, @ericangel.carbonu
Source: Facebook

But in a sharp rebuttal, the President of the National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT), Angel Carbornu, has said the move is insensitive.

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Mr Carbornu has told the government that the teachers are already earning very meagre salaries so the deduction will be unfair.

“The mistake we make here is that the accommodation condition rates are not the same and equal across the country.

But when it comes to teachers specifically, we need to look at the details and understand the peculiarity of our job and look at the reasons teachers should not be charged for occupying the government bungalows,” he told Citi News.

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He argued further that teachers living in bungalows in the schools are performing teacher duties.

It is these same teachers who take sick students to hospital and return to classrooms to teach, he argued further.

“…the house duties they perform are for free, so why do you ask them to pay for accommodation when they are offering these services for free?” Mr Carbornu quizzed.

Bulgarian Embassy Building In Accra Demolished In ‘Mafia-Style Operation’

A Ghanaian lawmaker, known for his deep insights into foreign affairs issues, has accused Government of Ghana of brazenly demolishing the Bulgarian Embassy in Ghana.

Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, opposition MP for North Tongu, has published photos and documents to back his allegation that the Bulgarian Embassy in Accra, located at Kakramadu Road, Plot No. 10, East Cantonments, has been completely razed to the ground unlawfully.

According to the ranking member on Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, the state-approved demolition recently was led by “armed rogue elements” with support from “deviant land guards and errant personnel allegedly from the Cantonments Police Station”.

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Authors:
George Nyavor avatar

George Nyavor (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) George Nyavor writes for YEN.com.gh. He has been Head of the Politics and Current Affairs Desk since 2022. George has over 9 years of experience in managing media and communications (Myjoyonline and GhanaWeb). George is a member of the Catholic Association of Media Practitioners Ghana (CAMP-G). He obtained a BA in Communications Studies from the Ghana Institute of Journalism in 2010. Reach out to him via george.nyavor@yen.com.gh.