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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says his government is committed to clearing all debts owed the National Health Insurance Scheme within the next 12 months, to enable the pro-poor social intervention programme run effectively.

According to the President, within a space of 12 months, drastic measures would be put in place to ensure that all government debts owed the NHIS was paid.

This follows an initial payment of about GH¢560 million within the first 6 months of coming into office, out of the total GH1.2 billion debt government owed the scheme.

Addressing a Caribbean delegation at the Flagstaff House yesterday, President Akufo-Addo stressed the need to ensure a smooth health delivery services for the people of Ghana, especially the vulnerable in society.

The Akufo-Addo led government was met with a huge debt running into millions of Ghana cedis at the NHIS, by the erstwhile Mahama administration.

The result of the debt incurred was that service providers withdrew their services, leaving most patients, who were initially benefitting from the programme stranded, President told the delegation.

The President was introducing the Caribbean investors to the situations in the country based on the mission for the courtesy call yesterday.

Led by the Acting Managing Director of the HFC bank, Mr. Anthony Jordan, the delegation met the President to express their confidence in his policy direction, and their readiness to support the government to succeed.

President Akufo-Addo during his remarks warmly welcomed the delegation, whilst thanking them for expressing confidence in his government.

“We are trying to build a strong economy with a strong emphasis on a strong private sector that can deliver a dignified stranded of living for the people that is what we are seeking to do.

“And in this scenario, we think that there are two things that are critical. Firstly, strengthening the private sector by creating a micro economy that is stable with low interest rates low rate of inflation, stable currency and a competitive fiscal regime that will enable Ghanaian enterprises and those operating from here to be competitive within Ghana, competitive within West Africa and within the world,” he added.

The President also noted that the idea of always focusing on production and export of raw materials without adding value to them would not help the future of the country.

He affirmed his commitment to working hard to ensure that value were added to the raw materials before they are exported, this in effect will increase the revenue.

Commenting on education, the President indicated that, his vision was to ensure that at least any Ghanaian got a minimum qualification at the Senior High School and not below.

He told the Caribbean delegation, who were listening to him attentively that, he implemented the free SHS policy on the backdrop of making the SHS the least qualification.

According to the President, this would help the students to achieve something proper to better their life, especially those in the technical and vocational training.

The free SHS, he mentioned was just the beginning of making sure that no Ghanaian child was denied access to education for lack of funds.

To this end, the President added that “maybe in the cause of time we may find the means to be able to rise to the university, but at least to the end of the secondary, we want to make it possible for Ghanaian child to be able to get the minimum level of education to be the SHS.

He said there are good results following the implementation. On the average, for the last four years, at a least about 100,000 students who hitherto could not access SHS for lack of funds are now able to do.

He stated that, the 100,000 students, who on a yearly basis, could not transition from the junior high school to the SHS, has slashed down to 36,000 as a result of the free SHS.

He further explained that the remaining could not take up their place not because of cost but because they could not pass. He added that they have the chance to resist and be enrolled.

On his part, Mr. Anthony Jordan thanked the President for his support for the bank, and his vision for the private sector.

He listed the various sectors they would wasn’t to invest. This included health, agriculture, and energy, just to mention a few.

“We have here at the Flagstaff House, renowned investors, business men and women from Caribbean for the Trade Mission, which started this morning. Our main objective is to support your agenda of a private sector driven economy by using our presence both in Caribbean and Ghana to facility long term trade and investment,” he said.