Tax expert, Dr Alex Ampaabeng, has predicted that government policies such as teachers and nurses trainee allowances could be affected as government goes to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for economic support.
According to him, these policies could be considered as unpopular and the IMF will want them scrapped.
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, on the 1st of July in a statement said, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has directed Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to start engagement with the IMF for support on Ghana’s economic programmes.
This received a lot of public backlash after several promises by government officials that they will not go to IMF for any support.
After the statement, there is public fear that most government policies could be affected including Free SHS.
But Dr Ampaabeng, speaking with Kwesi Asempa on Adom TV’s current affairs show, The Big Agenda, said one of the policies that could be affected because of the IMF conditionality is the Teachers and Nurses trainees allowances.
“People are concerned about Free SHS but personally I don’t think it will be affected because the money will not be coming from Ghana Revenue Authority, I mean general account resource of IMF but will come from Poverty Reduction Account and Poverty Reduction Account and poverty reduction is key so I don’t think IMF will touch it,” he said.
“Teachers and Nurses trainees allowance stands very tall though it is educational funding but the beneficiaries qualify for students loan so I will be very happy if we move it,” Mr Ampaabeng said.