The Majority Leader in Parliament, Mahama Ayariga, has claimed that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has proven to be a more effective implementer of major social intervention policies such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) than the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Speaking at the Leaders’ Media Briefing in Parliament on Wednesday, October 22, Mr Ayariga said that while the NPP introduced the Free SHS policy, its implementation under their leadership had funding challenges due to poor funding decisions.
“The Free SHS continues to be challenged, but as you can see, even there, we are making sure it works. It works because it needs financing, and the previous NPP government had capped the GETFund levy. Because you capped the GETFund levy and took the money to other sectors, SHS was not properly financed under the NPP.”
He recalled that under the previous administration, some schools struggled to reopen due to delayed funding.
“You were in this country when schools couldn’t reopen because the feeding grants didn’t go. So we uncapped it, and because we have uncapped it, GETFund money is fully funding Free SHS.”
He dismissed claims that the government’s inability to provide items such as chop boxes and utensils signaled a failure of the Free SHS programme.
“When you say parents had to buy everything, which year in this country has it not been the case that when school reopens, parents have to buy chop boxes for their children?” he asked. “Did we ever promise free chop boxes? Did anybody in this country hear anybody promise free spoons, plates and cups? Nobody ever promised anything like that.”
He said that the government had delivered on the key promises of the Free SHS policy: feeding, accommodation, textbooks, and teacher support. “Accommodation is free, feeding is available, teachers are being paid, and no child has ever stayed at home because school grants haven’t gone to schools. Free SHS is working,” he said.
The Majority leader added that while the NPP may have started the programme, the NDC’s management had made it more efficient and sustainable.
“It may have been started by the NPP, but we in the NDC have shown that we are better implementers of social intervention policies,” he said.
Turning to the National Health Insurance Scheme, the Majority Leader accused the previous government of reducing funding for healthcare by capping the NHIS levy.
“You capped health insurance. If you thought health insurance was so important, why did you get Ghanaians to pass a law to raise funds for health insurance, only to go and cut that money so that you can divert it to other sectors in the name of dealing with rigidities?” he asked.
He insisted that the NDC government had restored confidence in both the health and education sectors through prudent management and proper funding.
“Even if NPP started Free SHS, I am saying that today, NDC is a better implementer of Free SHS.
“Even the NHIS, which was started by former President Kufuor, is now being better implemented by the NDC. The figures and statistics are showing that there is more confidence in healthcare delivery and more confidence in education service delivery now because we are making sure the funding is going to those sectors.”
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