The former Minority/Majority Leader of Ghana’s 5th, 6th/7th and 8th Parliaments of the Fourth Republic, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has taken a swipe at the Mahama-led administration for its departure from the established policy development strategies that seek to strike a balance between the very poor and the affluent in society.

Hon.Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu

Speaking at a Public Dialogue organized by the Greater Kumasi-bloc of Members of the 9th Parliament of the Fourth Republic at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi on Monday, 24th of March, 2025, the astute former legislator pin-pointed four key indicators; Comprehensiveness, Predictability, Transparency, and Independent assurance of the Budget Figures Integrity, as elements that a good budget must brought to bear on the minds of the people.

The experienced legislator however listed several grey areas in the 2025 Budget Statement where the essence of the aforementioned pillars have been rubbished by the current administration.

Throwing more light on his assertion, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, saids the Ghc70m funds allocated to the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry for the reforestation program falls short of the predictability status of its expected outcomes. He explained that, much as the program seeks to continue the laudable initiative started under the previous administration in virtue of the alarming nature of the country’s depleting forest cover, timing of the budget (having been presented in March 2025), possible period for the Appropriation and subsequent release of funds to implementing agencies, and seedling germination by outgrowers, might combine to push the actual plantation of these trees into the dry season in November, a possible situation which might present the taxpayer with repetition of the SADA Tree Planting debacle experienced under the same John Mahama-led administration some years back.

The former Suame legislator also cited government’s revisitation of the Free Fertilizer for farmers in the 2025 Budget Statement. He said the NPP government’s reversal of the policy to a practical outcome from a consultative forum organized by the then Minority in Safwi Wiawso in the Western North region. The then Minority Leader presented a shocking revelation by the farmers that, the free fertilizers meant for the hardworking cocoa farmers found their way outside the borders of Ghana into other neighbouring countries leading to scarcity of the product for farmers.

It was on these premise that the farmers suggested that the NPP government rather subsidize the product to curb corruption, and to help address the scarcity challenge being faced then. The former Majority Leader indicated that the revisited policy cannot pass any transparency test and might lead the country to thd same old story we had during Mahama’s first term of office.

Pushing further, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu ridiculed the ‘after-thought’ white÷washing of the proposed payment of allowances to Assembliy Members at Various District Assemblies in the country. Though Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu praised the government for such a bold initiative, as he believes such would incentivise them to give off their best to the people, he pointed out a possible collision course with the constitution, the supreme laws of the land, in regards to funding of such initiative. The legislator quoted article in the constitution which defines Emoluments to includes ‘Allowances’ for public sector employees. And suggested the Finance Minister come with further and better particulars on his reversals.

It is on these touching revelations, including many others expressed by other Speakers, that the former Leader of Government Business concluded the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy lacks the four pillars of Comprehensiveness, Predictability, Transparency, and the Independent Assessment of the Budget’s Integrity, that might bring any hope for the people of Ghana, Ashanti, and Kumasi. He thus called on the current Members of Parliament to continue their good fight but also remain super vigilant while perusing government’s every step along the way.

By Agyemang Richard.