The Member of Parliament for Mpraeso, Davis Ansah Opoku, has criticised the government’s 2026 Budget Statement, describing it as “heavy on slogans but empty on substance.”
Contributing to the debate in Parliament on Friday, November 20, the Deputy Ranking Member of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) argued that the budget failed to outline clear, measurable policy strategies to address the country’s economic challenges.
According to him, the government appeared more focused on crafting catchy expressions than on developing credible programmes capable of delivering relief to households and businesses.
He said Ghanaians were “tired of slogans that lead nowhere,” adding that the document repeated promises without showing how they would be funded or implemented.
“We expected solutions, not soundbites,” he stated.
Mr Opoku noted that beyond the rhetoric, the budget lacked concrete initiatives to stimulate growth or reduce unemployment. He stressed that key sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and small-scale enterprises received “minimal attention” despite their importance to economic recovery.
“A budget must reflect urgency and seriousness. What we received instead was a document full of lofty words and empty pages,” he remarked.
He further argued that the government failed to provide a transparent plan for financing major projects, especially given the limited fiscal space. The absence of detailed costings and timelines, he said, undermined public confidence in the administration’s economic management.
“Parliament cannot approve a budget that does not tell the country how programmes will be delivered or what they will cost,” he cautioned.
Concluding his contribution, Mr Opoku urged the government to revise the budget and present a more practical framework that responds to the needs of ordinary Ghanaians.
“This is not the time for branding exercises; it is the time for action,” he stressed.
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