‘Free SHS not taking a toll on public purse; the elephant in the room is our debt, interest payments’ — John Kumah

Deputy Finance Minister Dr. John Kumah has tackled criticisms of government's Free Senior High School (Free SHS) policy, indicating that the policy is not a burden on the public purse.

During an interview on Citi FM's Eyewitness News ahead of the 2023 mid-year budget review, Dr. Kumah clarified that the monies allocated to Free SHS are a small fraction of the government's overall expenditure.

“It’s not true that free SHS is a huge elephant in the room. The allocation for Free SHS in the 2023 budget was GH¢2.9 billion, and the entire appropriation for the year was GH¢228 billion.

“You cannot tell me that if you are spending GH¢2.9 billion out of GH¢228 billion, that is the elephant in the room.

“And this is covering over 1.3 million Ghanaian children. The elephant in the room is our debt, the interest payments we made,” Dr. Kumah explained.

While acknowledging the importance of managing the country's debt, Dr. Kumah stressed that “the impact and benefits of Free SHS are crucial for the vulnerable and the future human resources of Ghana, making it a non-negotiable policy.”

He assured the public of the government's commitment to achieving growth despite fiscal constraints, aiming to ease the burden on ordinary citizens.