NPP to use oil revenue to fund Free SHS policy

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Created on Thursday, 22 November 2012 00:00

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NPP to use oil revenue to fund Free SHS policy

21 November 2012

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, has said under an NPP administration, oil revenue would help fund the Free Senior High School policy that he has proposed.

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Speaking at the final presidential debate organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs, Akufo-Addo said that, “the most equitable manner in which Ghanaians would benefit from the oil revenue is to ensure that they are used on the two most critical aspects of our national life – education and health care.

“If at the time the oil resources run out… we have a transformed Ghanaian population – educated – which has access to good healthcare, we now have the basis to sustain the development of our nation, not for one year, not for two years but for generations to come.”

In short, he said that oil revenues offer an opportunity to transform the nation’s economy.

He expects that these revenues will also make the country less dependent on foreign investors in its natural resources so that the nation can pursue more equitable contracts in mining and exports.

The IEA debate, which was open only to the presidential candidates of political parties with representation in Parliament, was built around the theme of “Upholding Electoral Accountability.”

Hassan Ayariga, presidential candidate of the People's National Convention, (PNC) blamed past and present governments for signing natural resource contracts that do not bring the fruits of these resources to the people.

“Under my Presidency, I will review all such contracts...taking inspiration from former President Jerry John Rawlings, a Hassan Ayariga led government would review all contracts to ensure that the nation and generation unborn benefits from our natural resources”.

Dr. Michael Abu Sakara Foster, CPP Presidential candidate, said a CPP government would pass the local content law and build the technical capacity to deal with the knowledge gap in the field.

He added that he would establish a Ghc10 million Research and Development Fund dedicated to innovations in an effort to make science and technology the core of Ghana’s economic development.

This, he said, was aimed at moving “ideas from the shelf to the factories” and to drive the economy forward.

Dr. Sakara explained that the “science and technology gap is reflected in the poverty gap,” and that, “if we do not have science and technology driving the economy, then you will find that we are not able to close the income generation and the other measures that we need to take to improve people’s lives.”

He also pledged to improve the quality of technical and vocational institutions.

From: GNA/Ghana