EDUCATION DEPT RELEASED PAYMENTS TO RESI AND NCDES CONTRACTORS

CAPTION: Educatio Secretary Dr Uke Kombra. Photo Credits to Raicoast Development Forum

THE Department of Education has commenced payment towards contractors who were engaged under the Rehabilitation of Education Sector Infrastructure (RESI) and NCD Education Services (NCDES) programs between 2007 and 2014.

In a statement by the Education Secretary Dr Uke Kombra, the K1.5 million was paid on to the first group of contractors on Friday as part payment from first K5million released by the Department of Treasury from the initial K22 million approved by National Executive Council.

For some service providers, these payments brought an end to nearly 19 years of waiting, while additional contractors are scheduled to receive their payments this month as the Department continues the disbursement process under the approved funding allocation.

Dr Kombra stated that the remaining outstanding claims will undergo rigorous assessment by an Inter-Governmental Vetting Committee (IGVC) before any funds are disbursed.

The Secretary clarified that the prolonged delay in settling these accounts was because the contracts were awarded illegally, bypassing established state procurement processes and legal procedures.

To rectify this and protect public funds, he said, a NEC Decision was passed in May 2022 directing the department of Education to settle outstanding claims solely for physical work actually completed.

This directive followed site inspections and valuation exercise conducted by state agencies, which commenced in 2017 to verify the legitimacy of each project.

The IGVC will continue to vet all remaining claims to ensure that no public money is paid toward illegal or bogus contracts.

The Department of Education wishes to thank the Government for its NEC direction to address this long-outstanding issue and also acknowledges the support of the Departments of Treasury, Finance, and Works, as well as the State Solicitor and Solicitor General, for their contributions in bringing this matter closer to resolution.

The Department further thanks the genuine contractors and the public for their patience and understanding as it continues to settle all outstanding claims.