President Akufo-Addo says he is hopeful the outcome of the International Monetary Fund ( IMF) negotiations would tackle the high cost of living in the country.
He admitted the cost of living was high but was optimistic that the package of measures which would accompany the IMF programme would address the economic issues successfully and reduce the hardship on Ghanaians.
“Yes we are going through difficulties but at the same time we trying to do well in other areas, the fundamentals of government policy is working. We have about 120 One District, One Factory completed and 300 of them in the pipeline,” he said.
President, Akufo- Addo made these statements at Nkawkaw in the Eastern Region on Friday when he spoke to the media as part of his three-day tour of the Eastern Region.
Speaking on concerns made by some persons to review the free Senior High School (SHS) policy, the President said he was a bit skeptical about it.
He argued “I have to confess my attitude when I hear the word review I hesitate because, first people who spoke about the review are people who opposed the policy in the first place and so if someone who did not want the policy comes to tell us that we should review it then my understanding is that he is to review the policy to reverse it.”
According to the President, the two fundamental thrust of the policy which was to expand access that has been dramatically achieved.
“The other was to include quality outcomes of education and I must say The outcomes of the free SHS graduates are a major improvement on the free SHS data that we have whether it is mathematics or integrated science, english across the board.”
President Akufo-Addo added that each of these areas of study has seen a significant increase in the results of the students.
President Akufo-Addo said reviewing these two thrusst of the policy and the improvement made will somehow be compromised, adding the country cannot tamper with the two fundamentals.
He said “as a country, we have ensured that nobody in the country, no matter their social origin and financial background should be denied access to good quality secondary education and added that for the past five years, the implementation of the policy has been established.”
He indicated that so far, his government have been able to financially sustain the free SHS policy and would continue to sustain it.
The President later attended an official opening of the NPP National Executives and directors Training and Orientation Conference at Rock City in the Abetifi Constituency.
He then proceeded to Nkawkaw to inspect the construction of the Nkawkaw-Abirem- Ofoase -Akim Oda road Project.
President Akufo Addo later paid a courtesy call on the Chief of Ofoase, inspected the construction of the Ofoase-Ayirebi Agenda 111 hospital project and departed to Akyem Asuboa in the Asene Manso Akroso constituency to inspect a similar project.