Education Minister, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has disclosed that government from 2017 to 2021 spent GHS 5,119,794,501.22 on its flagship Free Senior High School Program.

He said the ministry’s approved budget for the full implementation of the Free SHS program amounted to GHS 7,623,783,456.00.

However, during the period under review, the ministry of finance released a total of GHS 5,182,205,131.91.

"Mr. Speaker, the Government of H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo introduced the Free Senior High School program to improve access and quality of secondary education in Ghana. The program since its inception, has contributed to improving learning outcomes in our Senior High Schools.

"For the period under review (ie. 2017- 2021), the Ministry's approved budget allocation for the implementation of the Free SHS program amounted to Seven Billion, Six Hundred and Twenty- three Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty- three Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty-six Ghana Cedis (GHS7,623,783,456.00).

"During the period under review, the Ministry of Finance released a total of Five Billion, One Hundred and Eighty-two Million, Two Hundred and Five Thousand, One Hundred and Thirty- one Ghana Cedis, Ninety-one pesewas (GHS5,182,205,131.91) to the Ministry of Education for the execution of the Free SHS program.

"The total expenditure for the period amounted to Five Billion, One Hundred and Nineteen Million, Seven Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Five Hundred and One Ghana Cedis, Twenty-two pesewas GHS5,119,794,501.22),” he said.

This answer was in response to a question by the Akatsi North MP, who asked the minister to provide information on how much the Government has spent on the Free SHS Program between 2017 and 2021 in view of the conflicting figures on how much government has committed so far.