Ghana News Agency (Accra) – The government has spent GHC27 billion on implementing key social interventions since it assumed office in 2017, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said.
Dr Bawumia said these programmes include the rollout of the free senior high school policy, restoration of the teacher and nursing trainee allowances, the Nation Builders Corps, and provision of free water and electricity for lifeline consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He was speaking at a durbar of teachers and artisans at Metaheko in the Ablekuma Central constituency of the Greater Accra Region as he began a four-day tour of the region.
Cedi’s depreciation
He said Ghanaians are witnessing much better governance and leadership under President Akufo-Addo, with the cedi depreciating by only 2% this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic and elections.
He cited the restoration of the teacher and nursing trainee allowances, implementation of the Free Senior High School policy, for which government pays GHC2.2 billion annually, payment of GHC21 billion in the banking sector clean-up to 4.6 million depositors whose funds were locked up, and provision of infrastructure such as roads, libraries, school blocks and health facilities.
He said the government has recruited 90,000 teachers since it assumed office in 2017.
The government has fulfilled about 80% of the NPP’s 2016 election campaign promises, Dr Bawumia said. And with more projects ongoing, Ghanaians could trust the government with four more years to deliver more development projects.
New policies
Dr Bawumia has also been outlining policies and programmes the government intends to implement if given the nod in the 7 December elections.
These include the National Transport Recapitalisation Scheme; a leasing programme to give commercial drivers the opportunity to acquire new vehicles; a tertiary loans scheme for university students, offering loans that students can repay after they leave school; and the National Rent Allowance Scheme, aimed at workers, allowing them to rent decent accommodation by offering them a lump sum that will be deducted from their salaries.
The teachers and artisans asked the government to provide a stimulus package for private schools to cushion them against the negative impact of COVID-19, employ graduate teachers, and ensure that the “One Student, One Laptop” policy is fulfilled.
Dr Bawumia, responding to their requests, said the president has directed Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister for Finance, to look again at the COVID-19 Alleviation Fund and find support for the private schools.
He said the government wants to find a local manufacturer to produce laptop computers in Ghana, so that every teacher and student can have one.
Dr Bawumia said the government will provide free internet service to all senior high schools, 46 colleges of education and 260 education offices across the country by the end of the year.
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