The University Relations Officer of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has called for the decentralisation of the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC).

The move, according to Dr Norris Bekoe, will reduce the cumbersome process involved in renewing accreditation for various programmes run by universities.

“We need to make the process a bit more seamless and faster. There is a need for us to decentralise GTEC where there will be regional offices,” he said.

Doubts concerning academic programmes became a topical issue this week after the Auditor-General cited KNUST and the University of Ghana for running over 600 programmes without accreditation.

But speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Dr Bekoe bemoaned the bureaucratic process of renewing accreditation of already existing programmes.

According to him, the slow nature makes it difficult for universities to meet the timelines.

The URO, therefore, suggested that digitisation will also help facilitate the process.

“There the need for us to digitize these programmes. To make it quite easy for us to accomplish. Otherwise, every year the Auditor General will flag programmes and we will have the same discussion,” he stressed on Saturday.

On the same show, the Deputy Director General of GTEC, Dr Ahmed Jinapor, noted that a roadmap has been drawn in order to ease the otherwise hectic process.

He, however, noted in the meantime, universities should ensure they apply for re-accreditation prior to the expiration of programmes.