The key policy initiatives of President Akufo-Addo which includes the much talked about free Senior High School (SHS) among others, will cost the country over GHc2 billion.
The policy initiatives include the main promises made by the NPP during the campaign ahead of the December 7 polls.
Some of the promises made include one-district; one-factory, providing the 275 constituencies with one million dollars each to boost development, the setting up of a Zongo Development fund and also the provision of every village in the northern part of the country with irrigation dams.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also promised to restore the nursing and teacher trainee allowances scrapped by the Mahama government if he is elected into office.
However, the 2017 budget statement which was presented by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, has revealed that government is hoping to spend the sum of GHc400 million to fund the much talked-about free SHS policy.
Under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme in the budget, GHc 456,247,495 is expected to be used for the one-district one-factory policy, GHc94, 446,132 for one-village, one-dam, and GHc219, 500,000 is to be injected into the Zongo Development Fund.
Other initiatives which are under the same programme includes small business development, agric input, water for all projects, and sanitation projects, which will cost, GHc110,301,592, GHc70,191,922, GHc47,223,066 and GHc47,223,066 respectively.
The restoration of nursing and teacher trainee allowances, it is expected to cost a total of GHc252,143,727.
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Other initiatives which form part of government’s key policy initiatives include:
National entrepreneurship and innovation programme – GHc43, 900,000
National Identification Scheme – GHc100, 000,000
National Address System – GHc11, 000,000
National Asset Protection Programme – GHc8, 000,000
Venture Capital Trust Fund – GHc219, 500,000
Meanwhile, Parliament has started debating the 2017 budget presented to the House by the Finance Minister.
The house is supposed to approve the budget as a working document after the debate.