CSOs Demand Transparency in Government Budget Plan, Job Creation

CSOs Tell Government to Focus on Job Creation and Transparency in 2027 Budget

Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson is expected to present the 2027 Budget to Parliament in November, but civil society organisations (CSOs) are already pushing for significant changes.

The CSOs, including the Economic Governance Platform, the National Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), and the Tax Justice Coalition, are demanding that the government make job creation, stronger revenue mobilisation, and greater transparency central to the budget.

Mineral Revenues and Job Creation

Representatives of the CSOs presented proposals for consideration by the Ministry of Finance at a recent engagement on the 2027 Budget in Accra. The forum, organised by the Economic Governance Platform and Oxfam, was aimed at gathering inputs from civil society into the 2027 Budget and the medium-term framework.

David Adjei of NRGI called for a comprehensive framework for managing mineral revenues. He said mineral revenues were currently governed by different laws and proposed that royalties, taxes, and other mineral-related revenues be brought under a single framework to make it easier to track how the proceeds were collected, allocated, and spent.

Tax Compliance and Incentives

For the Tax Justice Coalition, its National Coordinator, Benedict Doh, called for stronger action against illicit financial flows and greater transparency in the granting of tax exemptions. He said literature indicated that about 65% of illicit financial flows were associated with commercial activities, making stronger transfer-pricing enforcement critical to protecting domestic revenue.

From Stability to Jobs

Ebenezer Okley, a representative of the Economic Governance Platform, said the government should leverage the gains made in macroeconomic stability to deliver concrete benefits to Ghanaians. He said while the government had focused significantly on restoring macroeconomic stability over the past year and into 2026, the priority for the 2027 Budget should be to translate that stability into jobs, price stability, and improved welfare.

The government's proposed "New Economy" programme, aimed at moving the economy from stability to accelerated development and job creation, will be outlined in the 2027 Budget. The programme is expected to be a key component of the budget, but CSOs are pushing for greater transparency and accountability in its implementation.

Closing the Tax Loopholes

CSOs are also calling for the government to close tax loopholes and ensure that Ghana derives measurable benefits from tax exemptions granted to companies. They want the government to strengthen the management of mineral revenues and increase the fiscal contribution of the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector.

The government has previously indicated that the 2027 Budget will be a key document in outlining its vision for the country's economic development. With CSOs already pushing for significant changes, it remains to be seen whether the government will heed their calls for greater transparency and accountability in the budget.

Source: JOY