Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has launched a scathing critique of the 2027 Budget, accusing the government of relying on economic figures and catchy slogans while failing to deliver tangible improvements in jobs and living standards for ordinary Ghanaians.
Speaking to journalists after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s budget presentation in Parliament on Thursday, November 12, Afenyo-Markin described the NDC administration as a “sloganeering government.” He argued that, despite claims of economic stability, Ghanaians continued to struggle with high food prices, unemployment, and persistent business challenges.
“Let Ghanaians know that this NDC government is a sloganeering government. What they came to do was to subject us to another round of slogans and no jobs,” he declared.
Afenyo-Markin pointed out that the government’s touted stability had not brought relief to households or businesses. “Stability on paper, hardship in our pockets,” he remarked, highlighting how soaring food prices in markets such as Techiman, Tamale, Kumasi Asafo, Winneba Central, and Makola continued to burden families across the country. He further questioned support for farmers and lamented reductions in the cocoa farmgate price, despite earlier promises by the NDC while in opposition.
“You cannot rebrand unemployment. They cannot slogan away the cost of living,” the Minority Leader asserted, calling for real solutions instead of rhetoric.
Turning to the government’s much-publicized New Economy agenda, which includes a proposed US$10 billion investment between 2027 and 2030, Afenyo-Markin demanded specifics. He pressed for a detailed breakdown of the 2027 expenditure and clarity on the specific projects to be funded, as well as how the initiative aligns with the government’s 24-hour economy policy.
On public sector obligations, he welcomed the Finance Minister’s assurance that bondholders under the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) would be paid but questioned the absence of similar commitments to the Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSAG), teachers, nurses, and public sector recruits.
“They claim that they have money to pay domestic debt exchange programme bondholders, those whose savings were postponed and whose payments were deferred. They say they have money to pay. That is good news. We welcome that,” Afenyo-Markin stated. “But the question is: where is the money to pay JUSAG, the money to pay teachers, the money to pay nurses, and the money to recruit?”
He also criticized the government for failing to provide concrete data on jobs created since taking office, arguing, “It is not data that Ghanaians are going to consume. Ghanaians want jobs, jobs, jobs.”
The Minority Leader further questioned the status of the proposed women’s bank, which had featured in previous budgets but was notably absent from the latest presentation. He also raised concerns about electricity costs and inadequate incentives for businesses, emphasizing the crucial role of the private sector in driving economic growth.
“Without the private sector, the economy cannot grow,” he concluded, pledging that the Minority would conduct a thorough review of the budget and present a comprehensive assessment following a workshop.
Source: Apexnewsgh.com