Accra: Budgets have often revealed the true priorities of governments, and the current administration's focus on infrastructure projects is drawing scrutiny.
According to Ghana Web, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President John Mahama's budgets have consistently emphasized infrastructure over social spending, a trend that governance reports from Transparency International, the IMF, and the OECD have warned could lead to corruption and inefficiency.
The recent surge in sole-sourced contracts and related scandals is indicative of this pattern, inflating project costs and diverting funds away from essential social programs. Applying observations from Transparency International and other governance reports, potential misappropriations from public revenues could be significant: between US$3.0 billion to US$5.0 billion from the planned US$10 billion Big Push agenda, GHC 9.0 billion to GHC 15.0 billion from the GHS30 billion 2026 Big Push budget, and GHS19.5 billion to GHC32.5 billion from the GHS65 billion allocated for 73 road projects.
The critique suggests that while infrastructure projects are prioritized, spending on social programs that directly benefit ordinary citizens seems constrained. This includes wage growth and conditions of service for civil and public servants, as well as delayed or limited payments that support households. During the Nana Addo and Bawumia Government, despite revenue challenges during the COVID period, social spending expanded, including initiatives like free water and reduced electricity rates.
The promised job creation, particularly the 1-3-3 policy under the 24-Hour Economy framework, has not received substantial budgetary allocations. The contrast is highlighted by the Nation Builders Corps program under the New Patriotic Party, which provided tangible income support to young Ghanaians, unlike the current government's approach.
Transparency International's observations indicate that public spending can lean toward large infrastructure projects due to their complexity and potential for manipulation. While not all such projects are problematic, the focus on infrastructure over welfare raises concerns.
The narrative emphasizes that a balanced development path, as demonstrated by the Nana Addo Bawumia Government, is crucial for Ghana's progress, ensuring both infrastructure and the welfare of its people are prioritized.