President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has debunked claims that the government’s social intervention programmes will be scrapped by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
They were reports that some of the government social intervention programmes risk being taken out as the country seeks a bailout from the IMF.
President Akufo-Addo speaking on GBC URA Radio in Bolgatanga gave the assurance that government will not sacrifice its social intervention programmes on the altar of an IMF negotiation.
“It’s relatively easy for me to give this assurance, the Free SHS, free TVET, these programmes are the heart of this government’s work over the last five years and we have made it clear to everybody that they’re non-negotiable when it comes to the public expenditure.”
“And already I think you’ve heard the statement the IMF Country Director made not too long that they cannot see how such an important social intervention can be sacrificed on the altar of a programme with them. All our minds are going in the same direction. I’m very, very confident that these programmes especially the free SHS and free TVET programmes will emerge from the fund intact.”
He said that a lot of people have forgotten that the government came into office at the time the country was under an IMF programme.
“The SHS policy was introduced in September of my first term in office within nine months of my coming under an IMF programme. So it’s already being accommodating within the thinking of a fund programme for Ghana.”
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Osuman Kaapore Tahiru|Ghana
