The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has challenged the government to account for the estimated GH¢650 billion in public funds it has received over its first two years in office before introducing a new economic programme expected to require approximately US$10 billion.
He said the government must first show measurable results from the economic programmes it presented to Ghanaians ahead of the 2024 general election, insisting taxpayers deserve a comprehensive account of the resources allocated to those initiatives before making additional financial commitments.
He said President John Dramani Mahama and Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson’s decision to begin promoting what they describe as a “New Economy” raises important questions about the status of the administration’s original economic promises, the amount of money spent implementing them and the results achieved so far.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah, who is Ranking Member of Parliament’s Economy and Development Committee, said the proposed US$10 billion investment, equivalent to more than GH¢110 billion based on the estimate cited in his remarks, should not become another major spending commitment without a transparent assessment of the programmes already announced.
Accountability
In a statement, he stressed that the debate should focus first on accountability rather than allowing the government to shift public attention towards a new economic agenda.
The MP said the government had campaigned on a series of policies intended to create employment, expand domestic production, improve access to finance and reduce the dependence on imported goods. However, he questioned why the administration was now preparing to introduce another economic framework when Parliament had not yet completed consideration of the original programme and, in his view, the government had not adequately accounted for its implementation.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah said the concerns surrounding the New Economy stemmed from promises made by President Mahama and Dr Forson when they were candidates seeking the mandate of the Ghanaian electorate.
He recalled that the NDC presented several flagship initiatives as central to its plan to transform the economy, create jobs and improve living conditions and cited the 24-Hour Economy Programme, which was promoted as a strategy to encourage businesses and industries to operate across multiple shifts, thereby increasing production and creating employment opportunities.
He argued that the country needed more than announcements about businesses operating around the clock, insisting that government should identify the jobs created and provide evidence that the employment figures being reported can be independently verified.
Nkoko Nkitinkiti
The MP also questioned the progress of the government’s poultry intervention, known as Nkoko Nkitinkiti, which was introduced under the broader Feed Ghana agenda.
The programme was intended to encourage poultry production, create jobs and reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported chicken.
