Following a meeting between Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and various education sector stakeholders this morning, Parliament has suspended the processes on the Public Universities Bill 2020.

Addressing the media on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Education Committee, William Quaitoo indicated that copies of the new Bill laid in parliament were made available to the stakeholders at the meeting.

“This morning we met UTAG [University Teachers Association of Ghana] and other stakeholders and gave them copies of the new bill which was re-laid before Parliament. They are to study it and bring their comments for consideration," he stated.

The suspension, according to him, will allow time for the stakeholders to study the new version of the bill and revert to the Committee by Tuesday, December 22 with any additional comments they may have.

He noted that the new Bill had taken into account about 90 per cent of the concerns raised by the various stakeholders at its initial presentation to Parliament.

Mr. Quaitoo added that work on the bill will not resume until they receive feedback from the stakeholders.

“When we receive their comments during the next sitting of the Committee all the comments that will be acceptable to all of us will be incorporated in the Bill,” he said.

He was, however, emphatic that the document presented to Parliament addresses the issues UTAG and other stakeholders have raised.

“We are working in good faith with them. We do not want to pass any Bill that persons who will be affected by the Bill will have comments on,” he said.