It stated that the government should have considered and announced as part of actions being taken to reduce expenditure.

The think tank’s concerns stem from Ken Ofori-Atta, the Minister of Finance’s indication that, despite the country’s current fiscal difficulties, the government was determined to continue with the financial commitments and implementation of its socio-economic schemes.

Dr John Kwakye, Director of Research at IEA, asserted that it would be helpful if the government reviewed its major policy interventions as part of measures to tackle the current economic quagmire.

“I realise that, on the government’s flagship programmes, we had proposed that, they should be reviewed, for the Free Senior High School policy, we thought the government could introduce cost-sharing arrangement with parents, we reduce the burden on the budget and other programmes like Nations Builders Corp and nursing and teacher trainee allowances, in these difficult times.

“It is time they either suspended or reduced and I do not think the minister went far enough but the government maintains all its flagship policies and programmes to run regardless of challenges confronting the economy,” Dr Kwakye averred.

Mr Ofori-Atta on March 24, stressed that there was no such intention to review any of the government’s flagship policy and some social intervention programmes, saying “let me say President Nana Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo has no absolute intention to roll back any major policy like the Free Senior High School.

He stated that he sees education as the best and enabling force for sustainable economic progress, growth, transformation, development and social mobility, and we will do more to improve on it for it to serve more and better our children,” he stressed.

Pressure has been mounting on the government to review its ambitious programs, especially the Free Senior High School policy, because it takes huge chunk of government revenue and stakeholders have suggested to the government to take another look at the policy and take expenditure cuts, among others, to save the country revenue.

Civil Society Organisations have also called for a review of the programme since it is limited to persons who are genuinely poor and unable to fund their secondary education.