Ghana’s Presidency Gets GH¢2 Billion Budget Boost Ahead of Independence Day

Ghana’s presidency has received a budget allocation of GH¢2 billion for the 2024 financial year, according to a report by the finance committee of parliament. The amount, which represents an increase of 25% from the previous year, is meant to cover the operational and administrative expenses of the office of the president and its agencies.

The budget approval comes ahead of Ghana’s 67th Independence Day, which will be celebrated on March 6, 2024, with the theme “Working Together, Bouncing Back Together”. The celebration will feature various activities, such as carnivals, parades, and cultural displays, to commemorate Ghana’s liberation from British colonial rule in 1957.

The finance committee, chaired by Kwaku Kwarteng, said the budget allocation does not include payments arising out of the Government and Support Agreement (GSA), which is a partnership between the government and the National Identification Authority (NIA) to issue biometric identity cards to all Ghanaians. The committee urged the Ministry of Finance to make projections for payments that may arise out of the GSA and allocate them to the NIA accordingly.

Some of the activities that the presidency and its agencies will undertake in 2024 include:

• Hosting heads of state and other foreign senior government officials
• Organizing cabinet meetings and retreats
• Maintaining the Jubilee House, Peduase Lodge, and six other lodges
• Supporting state and state-assisted funerals
• Constructing and completing sustainable, climate-smart irrigation systems to cover an area of 7,000 acres at Kasunya
• Reviewing the National Public Sector Reform Strategy (NPSRS) and implementing the Public Sector Reform for Results Project (PSRRP)
• Coordinating the Open Government Partnership (OGP) initiatives

The budget allocation for the presidency has sparked mixed reactions from the public, with some praising the government for its prudent management of the economy and others criticizing it for overspending on the executive arm of the state. Ghana’s economy has been hit hard by the global pandemic, which has affected key sectors such as tourism, agriculture, and mining. The government has implemented several measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis, such as providing stimulus packages, tax relief, and social interventions.

According to the World Bank, Ghana’s economy is expected to grow by 4.6% in 2024, after contracting by 1.1% in 2020 and rebounding by 1.4% in 2021. The growth projection is based on the assumption that the pandemic will be contained, the vaccination campaign will be successful, and the global demand for Ghana’s exports will recover.

As Ghana prepares to mark its 67th Independence Day, many citizens are hopeful that the country will overcome its challenges and achieve its vision of becoming a prosperous and inclusive nation.

Source: GhanaWeb