The Member of Parliament for Atiwa East and former Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei-Asare, has raised concerns over the allocation of 42% of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) resources to finance feeding under the Free SHS programme.
She argued that channeling such a large portion of the fund into recurrent expenditure could affect the completion of critical educational infrastructure projects across the country.
Her comments followed a disclosure by Education Minister Haruna Iddrisu that government has earmarked GH¢4.2 billion from GETFund for Free SHS feeding in 2026, representing about 42% of the fund’s total resources for the year.
Ms. Osei-Asare stressed that while student feeding remains important, GETFund’s core mandate includes supporting classrooms, laboratories, dormitories and other educational facilities. She called for increased budgetary support to enable the completion of stalled projects and improve learning environments nationwide.
In response, Haruna Iddrisu defended the allocation, stating that government remains committed to sustaining the Free SHS policy while also addressing broader educational needs. He, however, acknowledged the need to review GETFund’s financing structure to ensure greater focus on foundational learning and infrastructure development in the future.