Dr. Gideon Boako, MP forTano North

Dr. Gideon Boako, Deputy Ranking Member on Parliament’s Finance Committee and MP for the Tano North Constituency, has accused President John Mahama’s administration of running a bloated government expenditure despite earlier criticisms of the previous government.

Dr. Boako argued that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, particularly Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, had failed to match its rhetoric on lean governance with action.

According to Dr. Boako, the NDC heavily criticized former President Akufo-Addo’s administration for maintaining a large government and allocating significant funds to the Office of the President.

“The NDC, particularly Ato Forson, made a lot of noise about the size of Akufo-Addo’s government and the budget that was allocated to the Office of the President,” he stated.

While acknowledging the reduction in the number of ministers as a commendable move, he expected a corresponding decrease in overall government expenditure, especially in line with the NDC’s promises to cut costs and reduce taxes.

However, Dr. Boako pointed out what he described as a contradiction in the government’s budgetary allocations.

“In 2024, Akufo-Addo spent 250 billion cedis as total appropriation. In 2025, Mahama is seeking to spend 290 billion,” he revealed.

He argued that this sharp increase in spending raises concerns about the government’s commitment to fiscal discipline and economic efficiency.

The Tano North MP further questioned how the Mahama administration intends to balance its revenue and expenditure, given its pledge to cut spending while managing revenue shortfalls.

“Ato Forson said they will stop the bleeding, but that is not even the case,” he remarked.

According to Dr. Boako, Appendix 4a in the budget statement on page 133 allocates GH¢2.7 billion to be spent on the Office of Government Machinery in 2025 for compensation. Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo used GH¢327 million in 2024 for the same office for compensation.

Dr. Boako also pointed out that the budget allocations of GH¢78 million and GH¢70 million, respectively, for the government communications and research department at the Office of the President far exceed the budgetary allocations for almost five ministries under President Akufo-Addo. He questioned where the expenditure cuts are.

Dr. Boako urged Ghanaians to critically examine the government’s financial management and demand accountability to ensure that national resources are used prudently.

He made these remarks on Accra-based Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana on Tuesday, March 11.

Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah’s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below: