Member of Parliament for Ofoase Ayirebi and Ranking Member on Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, Hon Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has challenged the government to account for the GH¢650 billion allocated in its first two years before introducing a proposed $10 billion “New Economy” programme.
He said the government must first demonstrate what it has achieved with the resources provided to implement its original economic promises, arguing that Ghanaians deserve a clear account of the programmes and jobs delivered so far.
According to Hon Oppong Nkrumah, the government campaigned on several economic initiatives, including the 24-hour economy, the Nkuko Nkitikiti poultry programme, the One Million Coders initiative and the proposed Women’s Development Bank.
He said these initiatives were presented as measures to create jobs, reduce poultry imports, equip young people with digital skills and improve women’s access to credit.
However, he questioned how much progress had been made under the programmes, noting that Parliament had yet to debate and adopt the government’s full economic programme, despite having approved two national budgets.
Hon Oppong expressed concern that the government was now discussing a new economic programme requiring an additional $10 billion, equivalent to more than GH¢110 billion, without first accounting for the resources allocated to its earlier commitments.
He argued that the government should prioritise securing parliamentary approval for its original economic programme and provide detailed information on the funds spent, jobs created and beneficiaries reached under the various initiatives.
“Focus on the old economic programme, its promises, the resources that have been made available to you and account for it,” he said.
Hon Oppong Nkrumah maintained that a discussion about a new economic programme should come only after the government had accounted for its existing commitments and satisfied Ghanaians that the resources allocated to them had been properly utilised.
