Ahead of the maiden presentation of the Budget and Economic Policy Statement by the Mahama-led Government on Tuesday, March 11, many Ghanaians from diverse backgrounds, including economic, financial, and governance experts, have expressed varied opinions and expectations.
One of those individuals is former Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah and Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi in the Eastern Region.
In a media interview, Mr Oppong Nkrumah averred that the then Flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr John Dramani Mahama, during the 2024 electioneering, made 273 economic promises and believed that the Budget is the beginning of how those promises would be fulfilled.
The MP said, “Tuesday, March 11, 2025, the NDC-led Government of Ghana will present its first economic policy and budget to Parliament. It is the true beginning of the administration’s work where policy and funding are made available for work to commence.
“The new administration made some 273 economic commitments ahead of the last election. On Tuesday, the administration will present to Parliament the first set of commitments, which it intends to fulfill in year one.”
Mr Oppong Nkrumah, a Ranking Member on the Economic and Development Committee of Parliament, continued, “Our job as Parliament is to examine the commitments/programmes and to examine the budgets for each of them. Our job is to assess, make recommendations, and, in the end, approve the policy and the budget”.
The lawmaker noted that the Minority would draw on its experiences in government, lessons from past successes and failures, and input from constituents to ensure a thorough review of the budget.
“We will bring to bear the knowledge we’ve acquired in government, the lessons from what went right and wrong in our era, and the feedback from our constituents in our assessment and approvals”.
The legislator reaffirmed the Minority’s commitment to supporting policies that would benefit Ghanaians and, thus, cautioned against governance driven by rhetoric rather than substance.
“It’s good that finally the propaganda is going to give way to governance programmes that can respond to the outstanding challenges our people face.
“We in the Minority will do our part to help these programmes succeed for the people of Ghana, Mr Oppong Nkrumah stated.
The Budget and Economic Policy Statement of the Government is in accordance with Article 179(1) of the 1992 Constitution, which stipulates that “The President shall cause to be prepared and laid before Parliament at least one month before the end of the financial year, estimates of the revenues and expenditure of the Government of Ghana for the following financial year”.
Source: GNA
