Mr. A. K. Bonsu, Ashanti Regional Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called for the decentralization of the Teachers Fund to make it more accessible to teachers.
This, he said, would make it easier for the teachers to access the Fund and thereby reap the full benefits of the facility.
Mr. Bonsu said delays and frustrations members of the association went through when looking for loans from the Fund had forced most of them to turn to other sources for credit at higher interest rates and that this was defeating the purpose for which the Fund was established.
He was addressing the Third Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Asante Akim South District branch of the Association at Juaso.
The Regional Secretary, who was responding to concerns by some delegates about the delays in accessing loans from the Fund, stated that, some leading members of the Association had advocated the decentralization of the Fund on various platforms and that it was incumbent on members to come out with a resolution to support the proposal.
On the implementation of the Single Spine Salary Structure, Mr. Bonsu entreated teachers to exercise patience, saying, the leadership of organized labour was negotiating with government to come out with an equitable salary structure, beneficial to all.
Mr. Akuamoah Boateng, District Co-ordinating Director, in a speech read on his behalf said the critical role of teachers in the socio-economic development of the country could not be discounted.
They train the human resource required to spearhead the nation's development agenda and for that matter it was imperative to take good care of them, he added.
Mr. Osei Yaw Kennedy, District GNAT Secretary, announced that the association at the district level was constructing its own secretariat block, which has now reached the lintel level.
It has also embarked on massive membership education drive throughout the district and was motivating members to get involved in the activities of the association.