“Free SHS is innovative; it needs to be protected” — IMF

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said its support for Ghana will not scrap Free SHS.

It noted that its program aims to protect the vulnerable.

The Fund noted that the Free SHS policy needs to be protected describing it as innovative.

In its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), cited by ModernGhana News, the IMF noted that its support seeks to increase social expenditure while also ensuring efficiency and sustainability.

“We are still at an early stage in the discussions, but we believe that the free Senior High School (SHS) is an innovative policy that needs to be protected. In general, IMF-supported programs seek to boost social spending while encouraging both efficiency and sustainability.

“As discussed above, the IMF-supported program would aim at protecting the vulnerable and creating conditions for an inclusive growth,” the IMF answered in response to whether its programme will scrap the Free SHS policy.

The IMF noted that although the situation is challenging, Ghana can still change its fortunes for good by taking the right steps towards restoring macroeconomic stability and preventing a deeper crisis.

The responses from the IMF settle the debate on whether Ghana’s free SHS programme will be scrapped under the IMF programme.

By Vanessa Calys-Tagoe