You’ve poorly managed free SHS – Prof. Anokye tells gov’t

Prof. Kofi Anokye, a dealer in the real estate industry has insisted that the free Senior High School policy has been poorly implemented by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking on Eboboba on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm he argued the wholesale implementation by the government was a poor decision.

To him, the best approach was for the government to have targeted persons who needed to have benefited from the policy.

Prof. Anokye stated that the free boarding added to the policy is also not a wise way of implementing the policy.

‘’Give the policy to those who need it. We could have implemented the policy at a minimal cost,’’ he added.

The economist emphasized that free SHS is giving the country a hell of a problem because financially we could have targeted only people who need the policy.

Presenting the mid-year budget review in July this year, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, disclosed that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led administration has committed some GH¢ 3.2 billion in the implementation of the Free SHS.

He said he policy has some 1.2 million Ghanaian children at the Senior High School level. This, he stated has resulted in parents and guardians saving GH¢ 2.2 billion.

“Mr. Speaker, in acknowledging that education is the primary driver for upward social and economic mobility, we rolled out a raft of policy measures to improve the opportunities of our people”.

“We invested GH¢3.2 billion to implement Free SHS, resulting in over 1.2 million teenagers being in secondary school now, looking forward to better opportunities in life. For their parents and families, this has translated into GH¢2.2 billion in savings. That is money that the State has put back into the pockets of Ghanaians all across the country”.

But Prof. Anokye says the cost could have been reduced drastically with a targeted policy.