The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has raised concerns about the credibility of the 2025 budget statement.
According to him, the figures presented by the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in the budget do not align with the government’s promises.
Speaking on JoyFM Top Story on Thursday, March 13, Mr Nkrumah stated that while the government claims to have cut expenditure, the numbers tell a different story.
[embedded content]He pointed out that the total appropriation under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s 2024 budget was GH₵250 billion, whereas the 2025 budget under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration proposes an expenditure of GH₵290 billion—an increase of GH₵40 billion rather than a reduction.
“This budget that they have brought….cannot be a cut by any stretch of imagination,” he stated.
Mr Nkrumah also criticised the allocation of funds in key sectors, particularly concerning infrastructure and women’s development.
He noted that although the government announced plans to establish a Women’s Development Bank, only GH₵51 million has been allocated—far below the estimated GH₵1.5 billion needed to make it viable.
“This government rather puts 51 million cedis in the Women’s Development Bank; that cannot even get a license. You need 400 million cedis just for the license, and instead puts about 2.7 billion cedis at the Office of Government machinery. That cannot, by anybody’s stretch of their imagination, show credibility in keeping fidelity with the commitments that have been made verbally.”
He noted that while the government has committed to a “Big Push” infrastructure agenda projected to require $2.5 billion annually, only $800 million has been allocated.
“This is a budget that says that it is going to kick start what they call the Big Push, a 10 billion infrastructure programme, that’s about $2.5 billion a year.
“They put $800 million there, and then instead, they put 50 million for research at the office of the president. So if you compare the English to the numbers, it lacks credibility,” Mr Nkrumah added.
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