The government has allocated Gh¢252.2 million in the 2017 Budget to take care of reinstituted allowances for teacher and trainee nurses.
The allowances which were abolished during the John Mahama administration will be fully restored in September 2017, according to the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Presenting the 2017 Budget in Parliament on Thursday, Mr. Ofori-Atta said in all 49,032 Teacher Trainees across 43 Public Colleges of Education will benefit. An estimated number of 69,707 Trainee Nurses will also enjoy from the new programme.
Restoration of the allowance was a key campaign message of the New Patriotic Party in 2016.
The NDC government cancelled the allowances in 2014 with an excuse that the payment was a misplaced priority. A last minute attempt to reintroduce the scheme by the Mahama administration failed to impress the student nurses.
Addressing a gathering at Fadama in Accra last month, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said government is committed to the restoration of the allowances and will not renege on its promise.
“We are very determined to restore our promise on the teacher trainee and nursing allowances. The teacher trainee and nursing allowance will come off after the first budget in March.
“We have looked at the situation; it is not an easy one. It is very a difficult one but by the grace of Allah, we intend to keep all promises we made to the people of Ghana,” he said.