Ghana has for the past 4 years been facing heightened economic difficulties marked by high living costs and inflation but the former President John Dramani Mahama and leading opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) appears unwavering in tackling the crisis head on.
For the NDC, alleviating the hardship many Ghanaians are faced with is key among their priorities, if the top most.
The former President and the NDC unveiled six significant interventions to be deployed if elected into office in the December 2024 election.
This announcement comes as the country approaches the 2024 elections, with the two leading political parties presenting their solutions to the ongoing economic challenges.
In a tweet on August 27, Mahama outlined his party’s proposed measures aimed at alleviating the financial strain on Ghanaians and improving social welfare. Here are the key proposals:
- No-Fees-Stress Policy: New students at public universities, colleges of education, and nursing training institutions will not be required to pay academic fees.
- Reintroduction of Students Loan Trust Plus: This programme will assist continuing students in public educational institutions with their fees.
- Free Tertiary Education for Persons with Disabilities: Tertiary education will be provided at no cost for individuals with disabilities.
- Ghana Medical Care Trust [MahamaCares]: This fund will cover healthcare costs for chronic diseases, including kidney failure, cancers, sickle cell disease, diabetes, hypertension, and heart diseases.
- Free Sanitary Pads: Female students in basic and secondary schools will receive free sanitary pads.
- Free Primary Healthcare: From CHPS clinics to polyclinics, primary healthcare will be provided at no cost.
The NDC’s manifesto, launched on August 24, 2024, in Winneba, also includes commitments to removing certain taxes, such as the betting tax and COVID levy, investing $10 billion in public housing, and enhancing education.
The party also pledged to investigate corruption under the current New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration and focus on economic revitalisation to address current hardships.