The University of Ghana has justified the 20 percent adjustment made to Academic Facility User Fees for the 2022/2023 academic year.
The University said the adjustment of fees is based on rates approved by Parliament and communicated through the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), thus it is legal.
Development Economist and a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Social Policy Studies, Dr. George Domfe revealed this on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Monday.
He was reacting to a demonstration by some aggrieved students of the university over the fee increment.
The students also accused the university management of increasing fees by more than the 15% approved by Parliament.
The students, clad in red and black bands, appealed to the government to stop the university management from enforcing the unpopular decision.
But Dr George Domfe has maintained that the Management of the university has not engaged in any illegality.
He explained that the University decided to suspend the increment of fees in the 2019/2020 academic year by 5% which was given approval by Parliament to all public universities due to COVID-19 following a plea from the student leadership (SRC and GRASAG).
However, Dr. Domfe said the university is implementing the 2019/2020 approved fees of 15% plus the 5% they failed to add in 2019 due to the increasing cost of operations.
In spite of the 20% increment, he maintained that fees at the University of Ghana are one of the lowest in the world.
Dr. Domfe appealed to the student body to accept the increment to enable the university to undertake development projects.
Also, the Chairperson of the Education Committee Parliament, Kwabena Amankwah Asiamah backed the university of Ghana’s decision.
He, therefore, called on the students to take advantage of the student loan scheme to pay their fees.