The controversy surrounding the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) arrears is still raging despite Finance Minister, Yaw Osafo Maafo’s admission that government owes 209 billion cedis in arrears. Mr Osafo Maafo told leaders of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) that government has paid 138 billion cedis out of an outstanding amount of 347 billion cedis leaving a balance of 209 billion cedis.

But the figure contradicts what Information Minister, Nana Akomea told a press conference when he said government owed 103 billion cedis on arrears. This was further contradicted by the GETFund Administrator, Fosuaba Mensah Banahene, who also announced at another press conference that the actual balance was 207 billion cedis.

Reacting to the latest figure given by the Finance Minister, the President of NUGS, Edward Omane Boamah said they would study the figures given and take the necessary action.

NUGS had threatened to take legal action against government if it failed to pay an amount of 411 billion cedis, which they believed were in arrears. Mr Boamah told JOY FM that the legal action would not be withdrawn until NUGS is satisfied that the figures tally with their own calculations.