The MP for Ashaiman Ernest Norgbey is charging ministers of the current government to donate 10% of their salaries towards the funding of government’s flagship Free SHS programme.
According to the lawmaker, the move will make available funds to ensure the sustenance of the programme which has been docked with challenges.
Implementation of the policy which has ensured all first year students entered Senior High Schools at no cost has been seriously hit by inadequate accommodation, lack of furniture, books and other infrastructural hiccups.
Speaking to Starr News’ parliamentary correspondent Ibrahim Alhassan, the Ashaiman MP Norgbey disclosed a 10% salary cut by the 110 ministers will make available an annual amount of over Ghc2 million.
Mr. Norgbey related to a similar move by the Mahama appointees which helped in putting up Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds across Ghana. He wants current ministers to emulate same.
“Some ministers under Mahama government were able to set aside 10% of their salaries to champion some developmental projects in the country; CHPS compounds and other things in the communities. How many were they? They were about 80 something. Now an elephant government; we have about 110 ministers. Assuming without admitting that these 110 ministers take Ghc16, 000 every month. If you multiply 16,000 by 110 you’re heading to about 1.76 million Ghana Cedis,” he said.
“If you calculate 10% of this, you are talking of 160,000 cedis every month. In a year you will realize 2.112 million cedis. It will do a lot of things for the Free SHS. So what I am suggesting to the President is to tell his 110 ministers to set aside 10% of their salary so that they contribute towards this Free SHS because our brothers and sisters, our children in the various schools are suffering,” he added.
The MP’s suggestion is the latest among a myriad of proposals regarding a definite source of funding for government’s flagship Free Senior High Education Programme. Some economists including Dr. John Gatsi believe there should be a more sustainable source of funding for the programme.
“Even though government clearly indicated that they want to reduce taxes and they’ve reduced some of them and we’ve seen the reflection in lower Tax to GDP ratio but I believe government should just forget about whatever we would say by aligning the Free SHS to a source of revenue that is related to taxation”, he suggested.
Government has, however, assured there are enough funds to resolve the teething challenges that have greeted the free SHS policy. Speaking in parliament during the approval of the 2018 budget, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta disclosed the Voluntary Fund to be set up by government is no indication government is struggling to sustain the programme.
According to him, there are well meaning Ghanaians both in the country and the Diaspora who genuinely want to make contribution to the success of the programme.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM/Ibrahim Alhassan
