By Grace Zigah
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that his administration will submit its first external loan agreements to Parliament next week for approval, seeking a total of $800 million to finance major investments in education and road infrastructure as part of his government’s Resetting Ghana agenda.
The President disclosed that the first of the facilities is a $300 million World Bank loan, which will be used to eliminate the controversial double-track system at the senior high school level by constructing 16 new secondary schools nationwide.
Mahama announced during a grand durbar held to climax his two-day Resetting Ghana Tour of the Volta Region over the weekend, where he outlined several infrastructure initiatives his government intends to implement over the coming months.
Addressing residents, traditional authorities and party supporters, the President said the loan package represents the first external financing agreements his administration will lay before Parliament since assuming office.
“Next week, we are sending the first two loans to Parliament since we assumed office. One is a $300 million World Bank facility to end the double-track system,” President Mahama announced.
According to him, the education investment forms part of a broader $800 million financing programme designed to improve critical infrastructure in both the education and road sectors.
The President explained that despite previous investments in secondary education, inadequate classroom infrastructure continues to force thousands of students onto the double-track system introduced several years ago to accommodate rising enrolment under the Free Senior High School programme.
He said his government is determined to permanently eliminate the arrangement by expanding school infrastructure rather than limiting student admissions.
President Mahama disclosed that the planned construction of 16 new senior high schools will significantly increase access to quality secondary education and provide sufficient classroom space to phase out the double-track system.
According to him, the government is targeting the complete abolition of the system by 2027, describing quality education as one of the pillars of his administration’s national development agenda.
Beyond education, the President said the remaining portion of the $800 million financing package will support critical road infrastructure projects aimed at improving transportation, enhancing regional connectivity and stimulating economic growth.
Although he did not immediately provide a detailed breakdown of the road projects to be financed, he indicated that infrastructure development remains a major priority under the Resetting Ghana programme.
The announcement marks the first time the Mahama administration has sought parliamentary approval for new external borrowing since returning to office, making the forthcoming debate in Parliament one of the most closely watched legislative exercises in recent months.
Under the Constitution and the Public Financial Management framework, all external loan agreements negotiated by the Executive must receive parliamentary approval before they can take effect.
The proposed borrowing also comes at a time when Ghana continues implementing fiscal reforms under the International Monetary Fund-supported economic recovery programme, with government balancing infrastructure needs against efforts to maintain debt sustainability.
The double-track system was introduced in 2018 under the Akufo-Addo administration following the implementation of the Free Senior High School policy. While the arrangement expanded access to secondary education, it also generated criticism from parents, teachers and education stakeholders over shortened academic calendars, congestion and disruptions to teaching and learning.
Throughout the 2024 election campaign, President Mahama pledged to eliminate the double-track system by expanding educational infrastructure rather than discontinuing the Free SHS policy.
