Free Senior High School (Free SHS), one of the most talked-about government initiatives, and other social interventions would be reviewed as part of the conditions of the IMF agreement that the government achieved, according to Professor John Gatsi, dean of the University of Cape Coast’s Business School.
The Free SHS program would be evaluated and made more focused, he declared firmly.
Prof. Gatsi stated on the News 360 show on TV3 on Thursday, May 18, 2023 that it is not a problem for the IMF to examine such programs because it increases their effectiveness.
There will undoubtedly be a review of the program to make it more effective and more accessible for all Ghanaians, he added. “In fact, they have been informed what to do about the free SHS to evaluate it and to make it fit the demands of the people of Ghana.
Additionally, he said that well-organized access to social interventions like the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) would be provided to individuals who were eligible.
“Other protections for the vulnerable in a society, like LEAP and the rest, will be made more efficient to be able to be accessed by those who qualify to access,” he continued.
“So having social perception as part of the program is normal. We had social protection as part of the earlier IMF programme, so if we have social protection again in this one, I do not see anything wrong with it,” he said. However, he insisted that the fund’s goal was to increase their productivity and efficiency.
The IMF approved Ghana’s request for a $3 billion bailout program on May 17, 2023.
The government claims that the IMF program has a number of objectives, including preserving debt sustainability and restoring macroeconomic stability.