Scrap free SHS, teacher trainee allowances to save economy – NPP MP to Gov’t

Kennedy Nyarko Osei is MP for Akim Swedru.
A former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and MP for Akim Swedru, Mr. Kennedy Nyarko Osei has suggested that the government should suspend its flagship Free SHS policy to save funds and invest in other sectors of the economy.

As the economy continues to face numerous challenges, the NPP MP believes scrapping some other social intervention policies such as the school feeding, Planting for Food and Jobs, and the Nation Builders Corps programmes, as well as payment of the teacher and nursing trainee allowances, will lessen the burden on the public purse.

In a Facebook post, Mr. Osei indicated that “Since most Ghanaians are not appreciating the above interventions and are complaining about hardships, it will be very prudent for government to put those monies into other productive areas of the economy.”

To him, the country “can save about 5 – 6 billion if we decide to take the above actions and channel all this monies[SIC] into other sectors of the economy.”

The Legislator’s comment comes at a time the Akufo-Addo government is holding a crunch cabinet meeting at Peduase Lodge to deliberate on E-Levy and IMF.

The retreat is expected to end on Sunday, March 20, 2022, is to find solutions to the raging economic challenges.

The deliberations will be chaired by President Akufo-Addo, together with all NPP MPs, ministers, government appointees, and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership, a source from the government disclosed.

Joy News sources say the meeting will discuss whether the government should continue to push through with the E-levy Bill or resort to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in the face of the current fiscal hurdles.