The Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has raised concerns over the 2025 budget, arguing that it lacks measures to cushion Ghanaians against economic hardships and fails to address key campaign promises.
In a post on X, Ahiagbah stated that the only reason there has been no public protest against the budget is “the inherent patience of Ghanaians.”
He pointed out that the budget does not include direct interventions to ease the cost of living, despite President John Mahama’s campaign commitments on the issue. “As a result, the cost of living will worsen,” he wrote.
Ahiagbah also noted the absence of financial allocations for implementing the 24-hour economy, a policy that Mahama campaigned on as a solution to unemployment. “No game changer, after all,” he remarked.
He further criticized the government for budgeting GH¢2.711 billion for compensation within the Office of Government Machinery, which he said exceeds the GH¢2.051 billion allocated to five key job and skills development programs, including:
- GH¢1.5 billion for the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA)
- GH¢300 million for the National Apprenticeship Program
- GH¢100 million for the ‘Adwumawura’ Program
- GH¢100 million for the National Coders Program
- GH¢51.3 million for the Women’s Development Bank
Describing the budget as an “anti-climax” and an “underwhelming reset,” Ahiagbah suggested that it falls short of expectations in tackling economic challenges.
