The Ministry of Education has strongly refuted claims made by the Minority in Parliament regarding printing cost of past questions for WASSCE candidates in 2020 and 2021.

The Minority NDC has called for an investigation into an alleged 68.5 million cedis spent on photocopying past questions for WASSCE candidates in 2020 and 2021.

In a media engagement on Monday March 4, 2024, the Member of Parliament for Ashaiman, Ernest Norgbey called for a comprehensive probe by the Special Prosecutor.

But speaking to Metro TV in an exclusive interview, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Education, Kwasi Kwarteng explained that the cost quoted by the minority was misleading, saying the 78 cedis was actually for an entire book, not just a single sheet as claimed.

He expressed disappointment in the minority MPs by the lack of fact-checking before going to the media.

Kwasi Kwarteng also clarified that the actual cost is around 40 cedis per a book which is significantly lower than the prices of the books in the open market, citing records from the Public Procurement Authority to contradict the minority’s assertions.

“A member of parliament made such an allegation, I’m surprised. From parliament to our office is not far. He can come here to verify and reconcile his information. But let me clarify that it’s a single sheet but a whole book. Isn’t it unreasonable to say it’s a sheet?” Mr Kwarteng quizzed.

Responding to allegations of sole-sourcing, the Ministry’s PRO explained that the unique nature of the books in question justified the decision to sole-source them. He maintained that the initial quotation from the Kingdom Book Services was higher but the Ministry successfully negotiated the price down.

The Ministry has called on the Minority to restrain from misleading the public, emphasizing the importance of accurate information dissemination and responsible commentary in the public domain.

By: Bright Yao Dzakah | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana