The IMF has said the fund has no intention of compelling the Government of Ghana to cancel the Free Senior High School policy which has been criticised for being a massive burden on the country’s purse.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Dr Albert Touna-Mama, the IMF’s Resident Representative to Ghana said Free SHS is a revolutionary policy and didn’t see the need for the policy to be cancelled.
Dr Touna-Mama, however, noted concerns about the effectiveness of one of the flagship policies of the Akufo-Addo government.
“It doesn’t mean that it is perfectly sustainable and efficient now, so that is a different conversation…The debate is more on how we make it sustainable and ensure we achieve efficiency,” he explained.
Dr Touna-Mama suggested that compromises with the policy that made secondary education free will be expected.
“It is good to go with an open mind about these things, so we are just getting started,” he noted.
Dr Touna-Mama said his outfit would look out for leakages and evaluate the impact of various expenditures.
Another priority of the IMF is to protect spending on social intervention programs.
Dr. Touna-Mama described this as non-negotiable and said the IMF has consulted with UNICEF and other development partners.
“We need to carve a space for programs like LEAP and for programs that are effective in protecting the most vulnerable,” the IMF representative said.
