The Minority in Parliament has warned that it will oppose any attempt by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson to seek additional funding when he presents the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review today.
First Deputy Minority Whip and Member of Parliament for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu, issued the warning on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, July 22.
He said the budget review should instead focus on accounting for the government’s campaign promises, clearing outstanding payments owed to contractors and providing updates on flagship programmes.
Mr Iddrisu insisted that Parliament had already approved significant funding for the government and would not support any fresh request for money.
“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,” he said.
He said one of the key issues Ghanaians expect the Finance Minister to address is the payment of arrears owed to local contractors, many of whom he said are facing difficulties due to delayed payments.
“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,” he stated.
The Minority also demanded updates on government’s flagship initiatives, including the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme, the proposed 24-hour economy, the Women’s Development Bank and the One, Three, Three (133) initiative.
According to the caucus, several of the programmes remain largely unimplemented despite earlier promises.
“The jobs that they promised Ghanaian youth, including NDC youth, is only on paper,” Mr Iddrisu said.
He further criticised the pace of implementation of government policies, describing initiatives such as the 24-hour economy, Women’s Development Bank, 133 programme and payments to contractors as yet to materialise.
The Minority maintained that the government must demonstrate progress on its commitments before seeking additional financial support from Parliament.
It also pointed to Parliament’s recent approval of a loan facility of about US$1 billion, arguing that the focus should be on the effective utilisation of existing funds.
Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson is expected to present the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review later today, providing an assessment of the economy’s performance in the first half of the year and outlining updated fiscal projections for the remainder of 2026.
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