NaSIA cannot prevent private schools from accessing their funds from banks – GNACOPS | General news

After the government’s failure, the National School Inspectirate Authority (NaSIA) to support private schools through the National Board for Small-Scale Industries (NBSSI) Covid-19 Recovery Programe, the recent directive from the National Schools Inspectorate Authority ( NaSIA) ordering banks to inspect its certificate on private schools before bestowing their own savings seems to suggest that this is a grand plan by government agencies to victimize private education in the country.

According to the National Council of Private Schools of Ghana (GNACOPS), the NaSIA directive is illegal, can only be issued by the Bank of Ghana and by court order.

GNACOPS Executive Director Mr. Enoch Kwasi Gyetuah said the Board saw a letter dated February 12, 2021, with reference number NaSIA / Banks / 02/21/01, introducing NaSIA, to banks in Ghana and also signed by Haggar Hilda Ampadu, PhD Executive Director / Inspector General of Schools.

Mr. Gyetuah said that GNACOPS, found that the guidelines issued in the letter on paragraph three lines 1, 2 and 3; which states that we by this letter request all banks in Ghana to ask all pre-tertiary schools, proof of their registration with NaSIA, in the form of a provisional certificate, provisional license or a full license, before dealing any business with such schools is outlawed, a right which can only be exercised by the Bank of Ghana and possibly by a court order.

After careful assessment by the Board, “we asked who bears the losses of schools that were not allowed to access their accounts for very important transactions due to your instructions,” he said.

He said the board had hinted that “if the banks refuse to follow the NaSIA guidelines, does the NaSIA have the power to call for action against the banks for not following the guidelines.”

Mr Gyetuah said this assuming without admitting that the NaSIA has the mandate to write the letter to allow the banks not to do any business with the schools. “How did your office expect those same schools to pay the registration fees that your office asks them to pay into your account while you ‘froze’ their accounts.”

He said the board believed that NaSIA’s directives and sanctions without a board decision and approval amounted to a violation of the letters and spirits of section 94 (1) itself.

“The Inspector General of Schools is responsible for the implementation of the decisions of the board and the day-to-day administration of the affairs of the Authority” of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, Act 1023, 2020.

On the issuance of the certificate

The executive director said that ordering banks not to do business with private schools that are not registered with NaSIA was outside the mandate of the Inspector General of Schools, except at the request of the board, which is non-existent at the moment.

“So on what warrant or court order did your office implicitly freeze the accounts of schools that are not registered under your office?” the council questioned.

GNACOPS reiterated that NaSIA is an authority that works with and under the Ministry of Education, other sister agencies, associations, developed partners, civil society organizations and others, in accordance with Section 90.1 (a) to (k) of the Education Regulatory Bodies Act. 1023, 2020, but what is interesting is that none of these collaborators were consulted before issuing external directives to the banks.

Mr. Gyetuah said that although NaSIA is mandated to register schools, it is not required to do so for a fee since school registration is not a service at the school. asked NaSIA to return these fees and charges to them. “

“The Council wishes to bring to your attention the manner in which Law 1023 directed NaSIA in matters of administration and finance in section 122, (a) and (b)) that the funds of a regulatory body created under this law include: funds approved by Parliament and money from fees and charges for services rendered and, finally, section 123.1 of the same provision states that “the money for each regulatory body shall be paid into a bank account opened for this purpose with the approval of the Controller and General Accountant.

The Council therefore requests clarification from the Executive Director of NaSIA on the reasons why such a letter was sent to the banks and the immediate withdrawal of the letter to avoid further losses to our members.