Free SHS Books for 45 Schools in Offinso rotting at the Ports

The USA and Canada branch of the Offinsoman Association has appealed to the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Education (MOE) to urgently assist the association in clearing thousands of books and educational materials meant for donation to over 45 schools in Offinso and its environs.

A statement issued by the group and sighted by ghananewsonline.com.gh said the group in 2019 shipped a 40-footer container of books, computers and other educational materials to for distribution to schools within its catchment area. The move forms part of the association’s efforts towards supporting the government’s Free Snior High School (Free SHS) policy.

However, the container has since not be cleared due to the delay of the Ministry of Finance in granting the group a tax waiver as the items were all educational.

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The association lamented that the container has now gone into demurrage as the deadline set by the shipping company – Mediterranean Shipping Company of the USA for its clearance has long expired.

Documents made available to ghananewsonline.com.gh revealed that letters written to the authorities by the Offinso District office of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to assist the association to get the tax exemption has yielded no results, and the shipping company has threatened to “repatriate, sell, destroy or otherwise dispose-off the container” if immediate steps are not taken to clear it from the Tema port.

View attached documents below:

Source: ghananewsonline.com.gh