Parliament passes GETFund amendment to support free education

Parliament has passed the Ghana Education Trust Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2025, effectively uncapping GETFund to provide financing for free secondary education, free education for persons with special needs, free tertiary education for persons with disabilities, and to make the GETFund levy input tax-deductible.

The amendment is expected to ease the financial burden on families while reaffirming the government’s commitment to inclusivity, equal opportunity, and social equity within the education sector.

Ahead of the passing in Parliament on Thursday, December 11, the Minister of Education, Haruna Iddrisu, said that it would ensure sustainable funding for the Free SHS policy.

“It will give assurance to the continuation of the free senior high school policy initiated by former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2018, but it probably did not provide for a dedicated funding source for free senior high school.

“Mr. Speaker, the Honourable Ato Forson, Minister for Finance, decided to uncap the GETFund and to dedicate that financing so that additional resources are made available to finance education.

“Mr. Speaker, what this House needs to note is that when this law passes, we are assuring persons with disabilities of free tertiary education. So it means that any person who gains admission and is a person with disability to pursue higher education will receive support from the Government of Ghana, from President John Dramani Mahama. He is assured that he can go through his studies at the higher education level with support from the state.”