Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi and former Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has slammed the Mahama government for failing to cut any expenditure in its budget, despite claims to the contrary.
In an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah pointed out that the NDC government had increased its expenditure from GHC 250 billion to GHC 291 billion.
“There has been no cut in the budget. When you look at the numbers, you’ll see that the government is spending more, not less.” he said.
He went on to explain that under the NPP, the government spent GHC 327 million for 8 agencies, but now, the NDC is allocating GHC 2.7 billion to compensation in its budget.
“This money can even be used to build Agenda 111 hospitals and banks. But instead, it’s being used for something else,” he said.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah further criticized the allocation of GHC 50 million just for research under the Office of Government Machinery.
“They claim they have cut costs, but they need to show us where the cuts are. Just saying it won’t work. They need to be transparent,” he added.
The MP also raised concerns about the reduction in the number of agencies under the government machinery.
“When they were in power, we had 8 agencies. Now, they are left with only 4, and they want to explain this as a cut?” he questioned.
He also addressed the issue of the government claiming that NDC members were still looking for jobs, stating that the government had no plans to rehire but had, in fact, increased compensation at the Jubilee House from GHC 300 million to GHC 2.7 billion.
Meanwhile, the government has set a target of 4.4 percent inflation-adjusted GDP growth for 2025.
Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, presented the projections during the unveiling of the 2025 Budget. He emphasized the government’s renewed focus on expenditure-led fiscal consolidation and structural reforms.
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