Hot!
IMF issues with FSHS: NDC will target vulnerable in SHS that needed support – Minority
The Minority in Parliament has stated that the challenges with the Free Senior High School (FSHS) as mentioned by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are not different from what the Minority caucus and former President John Mahama identified.
According to the Minority, they have mentioned to the challenges to the government since the inception of the programme and all have been ignored describing same as propaganda.
In a statement signed by the ranking member Select Committee on Education, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe indicated that an NDC government in 2025 will be targeting the vulnerable in the senior high schools that needed support.
“The Minority wants to put on record that since 2017 when the programme was implemented, we cautioned government to hasten slowly so that a proper roll out of the policy would be meaningful and beneficial to Ghanaians. This was not heeded and was described as a propaganda.
“The Minority again in 2019, two years after the implementation of the policy called on the government to review the policy but this request for a review was misconstrued to mean cancelation. Areas that the Minority and former President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama identified for review are exactly what the IMF has identified,” Mr. Nortsu-Kotoe stated.
Below is the full statement from the Minority
MINORITY STATEMENT ON IMF’s COMMENTS ON THE FREE SHS PROGRAMME.
The Minority in Parliament has observed with keen interest the statement made by the International Monetary Fund regarding the poor implementation and targeting of the Free SHS programme in Ghana.
The Minority wants to put on record that since 2017 when the programme was implemented, we cautioned government to hasten slowly so that a proper roll out of the policy would be meaningful and beneficial to Ghanaians. This was not heeded and was described as a propaganda.
The Minority again in 2019, two years after the implementation of the policy called on the government to review the policy but this request for a review was misconstrued to mean cancelation. Areas that the Minority and former President of the Republic, John Dramani Mahama identified for review are exactly what the IMF has identified.
These include serious targeting of the vulnerable in the senior high schools that needed support. That was what was done by the NDC government when it introduced the progressively Free SHS in 2015.
Infrastructure remains a big challenge in the senior high schools. A large number of projects started by the President Mahama administration to provide enough space for both accommodation and academic work remains uncompleted. If government had not abandoned these projects, the infrastructure deficits would have been minimal. This was the vision of President Mahama that going into the future, enrolment into secondary schools was going to increase tremendously.
It was also observed in the report that there is a neglect of basic education. The Minority has noted this every year, especially during budget sessions, that the neglect of the basic education by this government was going to have a negative impact on the quality of education that we want for our children. We have observed the dwindling allocation of funds for basic education but government has been adamant in this direction.
The Minority wants to put on record that in the 2020 Manifesto of the NDC, we categorically stated that we would engage and involve the private senior high schools in the Free SHS programme and that remains a commitment the next NDC government will do.
In conclusion, the Minority wants the government to as a matter of urgency release money to the heads of Senior High Schools to enable them run their schools efficiently.
Additionally, the current calendar for the senior high schools must be reviewed because the first year students who reported in February this year and went on holidays during Easter are still home. This is impacting negatively on their academic work. In the end they are unable to do the three years of the secondary school programme.
It is our belief that this government which claims to be a ‘listening government’ will listen to what the IMF has said and give our future leaders the quality of education that they deserve so that in the next two decades the country does not suffer any human resource challenges.
Thank you.
Peter Nortsu-Kotoe.
Ranking Member.
Select Committee on Education.
Credit: Starrfm.com.gh
Hot!
GEXIM deepens relations with US EXIM Bank
A management team of the Ghana Export – Import Bank (GEXIM) led by the Acting Chief Executive, Sylvester Mensah met with the leadership of the Export–Import Bank of the United States (US EXIM) on Wednesday April 23, 2025 in Washington DC, United States of America.
The Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM, Mr. James C. Cruse and Vice President, International Relations, Ms. Isabel Galdiz received the GEXIM delegation, which included Deputy CEO for Banking, Mr. Moses Klu Mensah and Head of International Cooperation, Mr. Jonathan Christopher Koney at the headquarters of US EXIM.
The meeting offered the GEXIM team the opportunity to share the strategic direction of the Bank in line with the resetting agenda of the President of the Republic, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama for the repositioning of the Ghanaian economy into an export-led one by providing the requisite investment to Ghanaian businesses.
Mr. James C. Cruse expressed US EXIM’s eagerness to deepen its existing relations with GEXIM and proposed the signing of a new Cooperative Framework Agreement following the expiration of a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 to utilize US EXIM’s medium term loan guarantees to procure machinery by GEXIM for qualified Ghanaian Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).
Mr.Sylvester Mensah thanked the Acting President and Chairman of US EXIM for hosting the GEXIM delegation and reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to strengthening trade and investment between Ghana and its global partners for economic transformation of Ghana with GEXIM playing a pivotal role.
The two teams will be meeting on the sidelines of the 2025 US EXIM Annual Conference on 29th and April 30, 2025 to explore possible areas of collaboration and matching Ghanaian businesses to American companies. The meeting ended with an exchange of gifts.
Hot!
Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation –Pres.Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern over the misuse of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) for personal financial gain by individuals in leadership positions.
Speaking during a meeting with Chief Executives of specified entities under the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA) on Thursday, March 13, the President directly attributed the dire state of SOEs to their leadership, accusing chief executives, management teams, and governing boards of prioritising personal enrichment over organisational efficiency.
He pointed to bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures as factors draining public funds while SOEs continue to rely on government bailouts.
“Many SOEs have been used as mere instruments for personal wealth accumulation by appointees. The chief executives, management, and boards of these enterprises are responsible for this situation. Some SOEs have become perennial loss-makers, draining public funds with bloated budgets, unjustified allowances, and unnecessary expenditures while relying on government bailouts as if entitled to them. Many of these entities are at their lowest point in the entire history of the Fourth Republic,” he said.
President Mahama further noted that many SOEs have been plagued by inefficiencies, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to consistent financial losses. He cited the 2023 State Ownership Report by the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA), which highlighted systemic inefficiencies and wasteful expenditures within these entities.
He therefore reaffirmed his commitment to reforming under-performing SOEs and ensuring they serve national interests.
He warned that loss-making SOEs will no longer be tolerated and will either be merged, privatised, or closed.
“I will assess you based on your performance. If you do not align with the pace of the reset agenda, you may be asked to step aside. If that adds to the horror movie, so be it,” he added.
Source: Myjoyonline.com
