It's difficult to get housemaids in Accra because of Free SHS - Bawumia

The Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, says the implementation of the Free Senior High School (FSHS) policy has made it extremely difficult to get housemaids to employ because more girls are now benefitting.

He said every parent wanted their girl-child to pursue education to the highest level, therefore, the Free SHS had provided an avenue to achieve their aspirations, hence the decline in getting housemaids in Accra.

Currently, the secondary school enrolment ratio is 100 boys to 106 girls, thus achieving gender parity in the process.

During a community stakeholder engagement at Amasaman in the Ga West Municipality on Monday, Dr Bawumia said the Free SHS had benefitted 5.7 million children so far, with secondary school enrolment increasing from 800,000 in 2016 to 1.4 million now.

The enrolment, he said, had seen 600, 000 additional children being enrolled under the policy.

The stakeholder engagement has become a common feature of Dr Bawumia's constituency-focused campaign that enabled the NPP Flagbearer to listen to the concerns of the people and chart the way forward towards solving them under his administration.

The event, held at the ICGC's Shalom Temple in Amasaman, brought together the Clergy, Imams, traditional and opinion leaders, as well as artisans and youth groups for open and frank discussions.

The NPP Flagbearer reiterated his plans to reduce the cost of public transport by 40 per cent by introducing electric buses and reduce the cost of electricity by 50 per cent by generating 2,000 megawatts of solar power during the first four years of his administration.

He mentioned the Free SHS and WET, and digitalisation of some public sector institutions including the DVLA, the Passport Office and the Registrar General's Department, thus, improving the delivery of public services.

The NPP flagbearer reaffirmed his commitment to implementing a new tax regime after granting tax amnesty to businesses and individuals, a 10-year validity driver's license renewable every five years, and procuring 50,000 closed circuit (CCTV) cameras for the security agencies to be installed in district and regional capitals to minimise crime.