SEND Ghana lauds govt for incorporating citizens inputs in budget

Send Ghana has applauded the government for incorporating key recommendations of citizens into the 2025 national budget. 

That, it said, marked a positive step in strengthening budget transparency and inclusive and accountable governance.

It mentioned the uncapping of the National Health Insurance Levy (NHIL), the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and the indexing of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) against inflation and free sanitary pads for girls, among other initiatives.

In a statement, SEND Ghana said the government's decision to uncap the NHIL and allocate GH¢9.93 billion to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) in the budget was a major step towards sustainable healthcare financing and that such an action would not only improve access to quality health care for Ghanaians but also help the country move closer to achieving Universal Health Coverage.

Additionally, it said the GETFund had been uncapped, allowing for more resources to address critical infrastructure deficits and enhance the quality of education at the senior high school (SHS) and tertiary levels.

It said the government’s commitment to strengthening Ghana’s major poverty reduction programmes — the LEAP Programme, the School Ghana Feeding Programme, and the Capitation Grant — was particularly noteworthy.

“LEAP benefits have now been indexed to inflation, with the number of beneficiary households set to increase from 350,000 to 400,000 by July 2025. The GSFP budget has also seen a 30.8 per cent increase, rising from GH¢728.8 million in 2024 to GH¢953.5 million in 2025, enhancing both the quality and coverage of school meals. 

Inequality

“The fight against menstrual inequity has received a significant boost with the government's commitment to allocate GH¢292.4 million for providing free sanitary pads to female students in primary and secondary schools,” it said.

That initiative, SEND Ghana said, was crucial in reducing absenteeism among girls and ensuring they managed their menstrual health with dignity.

Those efforts, it said, if fully implemented, would enhance Ghana’s chances of achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Despite the remarkable steps, SEND Ghana said its analysis had revealed some critical gaps that required urgent consideration by the government.

“These issues cut across social protection, health care, sexual and reproductive health rights, education, and water, sanitation and hygiene,” it said.

On sector-specific issues on social protection, the statement said it was time to fully roll out the LEAP re-assessment for the graduation of beneficiaries. 

Celebration

SEND Ghana said while there was cause for celebration, successive governments had not prioritised the periodic reassessment of beneficiaries, which was a requirement of the programme.

“According to the 2022 Auditor General’s report, the government's failure to carry out these assessments resulted in improper payments totalling GH¢396,620 to beneficiaries who no longer qualify for the programme.”

“In 2024, some reassessments were conducted in 10 districts in the northern regions of Ghana, with plans for further assessments in the remaining regions,” it said.

“This approach will ensure that skilled individuals are hired to provide quality meals for students, creating job opportunities for the youth who have acquired catering skills.

“Furthermore, like the LEAP programme, the government must guarantee the timely disbursement of funds, even beyond the IMF programme.

This will enhance efficiency and prevent the frequent agitation among caterers that we have witnessed recently,” it emphasised.