Former Finance Minister Seth Terkper criticizes the government's role in subsidizing Ghana's free SHS program, proposing a model akin to Europe and the United States.

Former Finance Minister Seth Terkper has expressed concern over the government's duty for covering the entire cost of the free senior high school (SHS) initiative.

He advised that Ghana follow a paradigm akin to Europe and the United States, where free SHS is confined to day students.

Ghana's free SHS project, launched by the Akufo-Addo administration in 2027, has cost GHS 9.9 billion till date. Terkper questioned how the upcoming Mahama government intends to generate cash to pay programs such as free SHS while simultaneously eliminating certain taxes, as promised.

Terkper told TV3 on Friday, December 13, "Those in the diaspora, please join this discussion. Secondary education is free throughout Europe, as well as in the United States, but only in day schools. The best government policy, for example, in the United States, is to install yellow buses that must be stopped to give priority to buses transporting children to school."

He went on to explain that boarding schools in wealthy industrialized countries are primarily attended by the privileged, who can afford the exorbitant tuition, or by outstanding kids who earn scholarships. "Why don't we follow their example? What motivates us to advocate for unrestricted free SHS? Unfettered in the sense that the government bears all costs. The warning came in 2018, early in the administration, when we utilized GHS 2.2 billion in bonds to sustain free SHS," Terkper said.

Mr. Joe Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of Dalex Finance, also commented on the broadcast, expressing concerns about the new Mahama administration's ability to produce cash for development if the taxes it vowed to abolish are removed. Jackson underlined the difficulties in managing the economy, particularly in light of the platform promise to eliminate taxes like the e-levy.

Prior to the 2024 general elections, NDC candidate John Dramani Mahama promised to eliminate various taxes within his first 100 days in power, including the e-levy, COVID levy, 10% betting levy, emissions levy, and import tariff on cars and equipment for industrial and agricultural purposes.