The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has challenged the government to account for its expenditure, outstanding arrears, flagship projects and job creation commitments ahead of the presentation of the 2027 Budget.
It said the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, must use the budget to provide verifiable evidence of what the government had spent, delivered and achieved, rather than announce new programmes and financial commitments.
In a press statement issued ahead of the budget presentation today, the party said the government must demonstrate that it had fulfilled existing promises before introducing its proposed US$10 billion New Economy initiative.
Dr Forson is scheduled to present the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament today.
The NPP alleged that the government's execution of its budget had been weak, citing outstanding arrears, shortfalls in capital expenditure and commitments made without corresponding budgetary allocations.
It questioned the government's announcement that it had awarded GH¢63 billion in road contracts under the Big Push programme, against combined allocations of GH¢43.8 billion for 2025 and 2026.
The party said the resulting funding gap of at least GH¢19 billion raised concerns about the possibility of accumulating fresh arrears.
It also called for the publication of the Auditor-General's full report on audited claims, including the GH¢8.6 billion still under review.
On the 24-Hour Economy initiative, the NPP questioned the government's ability to account for the US$4 billion expected to be mobilised over four years and the promised 1.7 million jobs.
It cited an admission by the programme's secretariat that it could not yet establish how many jobs had been created.
The party also questioned the financing of the proposed US$10 billion New Economy, asking whether the initiative represented additional funding or a rebranding of existing commitments.
It demanded a detailed financing plan indicating the contributions expected from the Treasury, private investors and development finance institutions.
Jobs under scrutiny
The NPP further challenged the government to provide evidence of the 800,000 jobs projected in the 2026 Budget.
It cited Ghana Statistical Service figures showing that youth unemployment among persons aged 15 to 35 averaged 21.9 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025, compared with the national average of 12.8 per cent.
It called for a verified jobs register showing the number of jobs created, their locations, sectors and whether they were permanent or temporary.
Economic concerns
On monetary policy, the party argued that declining headline inflation had not translated into improved living conditions for households.
It raised concerns about the cost of electricity, transport and other essential services, as well as limited access to credit for businesses.
The NPP also questioned the sustainability of the cedi's performance, citing foreign exchange interventions and declining international reserves.
