The Minority in Parliament has served notice that it will oppose any request by the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, for additional funding when he presents the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review to Parliament today.
In an address in Parliament on Wednesday, July 23, First Deputy Minority Whip and MP for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, said the government must use the budget review to account for its campaign promises, settle arrears owed to contractors, and outline progress on key flagship programmes, rather than seek further financial approvals.
The Minority maintained that Parliament had already approved substantial financing for the government and insisted that any attempt by the Finance Minister to seek additional funds would not receive their support.
“If the finance minister comes here to this house tomorrow, we will be observing and monitoring every line of his statement or his budget, and we beg him; he should not come and ask for any money because we will not give him any money because of the money that we have given.”
The caucus argued that one of the key expectations of Ghanaians was for the government to explain how it intended to pay outstanding debts owed to local contractors, many of whom, they said, continue to face financial difficulties.
“What Ghanaians are expecting of him in the statement is to state clearly and pay Ghanaian contractors. Ghanaian contractors have not been paid; they are suffering, there is no money in the system.”
According to the Minority, the budget review should also provide updates on a number of flagship initiatives announced by the government, including the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme, the proposed 24-hour economy policy, the Women’s Development Bank, and the “One, Three, Three” initiative.
They contended that many of the programmes remained unfulfilled and existed largely as policy announcements.
“The jobs that they promised Ghanaian youth, including NDC youth, is only on paper. The 24-hour economy, ‘Yamutu’. The women’s bank, ‘Yamutu’. 133, ‘Yamutu’. Paying contractors, ‘Yamutu’.”
The Minority further argued that the government must demonstrate tangible progress on its economic commitments before returning to Parliament for additional financial support.
They pointed out that Parliament had only recently approved a loan facility of about US$1 billion and said the focus should now be on prudent utilisation of approved resources rather than seeking fresh allocations.
The 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, to be presented by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, is expected to provide an update on the performance of the economy during the first half of the fiscal year, assess implementation of the 2026 Budget Statement, and outline revised fiscal and economic projections for the remainder of the year.
Editor:
Obiri-Yeboah
