Government’s allocation to the free Senior High School (SHS) programme in the 2024 budget would increase to about 3.9 billion Cedis. Even though the 2024 budget is yet to be presented to Parliament, GBC NEWS has gathered that the increase is to cater for, and ensure that the government’s flagship programme still gets the needed attention and survives in the turbulence of the current economic crunch.
It also demonstrates government’s commitment and faith in the free senior high school policy.
The Head of Budget Development and Reforms Unit at the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Alex Amankwah Poku noted that the move is well geared at meeting the SDG target in education for Ghanaian children.
Speaking at the launch of UNICEF‘s social sector budget briefs in Accra, Dr. Amankwah Poku said, though government’s target and achievements for the social sector, especially children, has been topsy turvy, government is on course to deliver to meet all the targets set in the social policy sector.
Dubbed ‘investing in children- accelerated SDGs through budgets”, the budget briefs by UNICEF is an annual meeting to examine government’s allocations to support children and social interventions.
Dr. Amankwah Poku assured of increased funds to the social sector of the economy to meet the targets set in the SDGs.
The Educational Think Tank, ‘Eduwatch’ however believes Government can do more to ameliorate the plight of the average Ghanaian child.
In an interview, the SDGs National Coordinator and Chief Analyst at the NDPC, Dr. Richard Osei Bofah said meeting the targets have become a mix bag, saying some of the targets have been achieved while some are still hanging.
The budget briefs were later launched by the Deputy UNICEF Representative in Ghana, Fiachra McAsey, together with the Chief of Social Policy and Inclusion at UNICEF, Ghana, Paulina Savilanti.