Is This the Lean Government Ghanaians Were Promised?

The government’s 2025 budget has sparked serious concerns about its commitment to fiscal discipline and expenditure rationalization. During a recent parliamentary session, MP Abena Osei Asare raised pressing questions about the administration’s spending patterns, particularly concerning the Office of Government Machinery (OGM).

According to Abena Osei, the government promised to rationalize expenditure and cut waste, yet the 2025 budget reflects an additional GH₵43.5 billion increase in spending. She pointed out that this administration is seeking approval to spend GH₵290 billion, a significant jump from the GH₵250 billion allocated in 2024—an election year.

“This is not an election year, so why the increased expenditure?” Abena Osei questioned. “Where in this budget have they rationalized expenditure? Where have they cut waste?”

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Excessive Spending at the Office of Government Machinery

One of the most controversial areas of spending highlighted by Abena Osei is the sharp rise in salaries at the Office of the President. The 2025 budget allocates GH₵2.7 billion to salaries under the OGM, a figure that has raised eyebrows.

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Government officials have attempted to justify this increase by claiming that new agencies, such as the Ministry of Information and the National Security Ministry, were merged under OGM. However, Abena Osei dismantled this argument by revealing that in 2024, several other agencies, including SEGA, the Internal Audit Agency, and the Scholarship Secretariat, were part of OGM but have now been removed. Despite these removals, the OGM budget has skyrocketed rather than decreased.

Furthermore, she calculated that even if the National Security Ministry’s GH₵1.28 billion compensation budget from 2024 were adjusted with a 10% increment, the total would still be far below the new GH₵2.7 billion figure, leaving a substantial unexplained gap of approximately GH₵1 billion.

A Lean Government in Optics, Not in Practice?

Abena Osei criticized the administration for focusing on appearances rather than actual cost-cutting measures. While the president reduced the number of ministers, she argued that this was a mere optical illusion designed to give the impression of a lean government, while in reality, salaries and expenditures have been inflated.

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“The president said he would reduce the number of ministers for the optics, but in the real deal, he is fattening the salaries of his officials while the ordinary Ghanaian struggles,” Abena Osei stated.

What This Means for Ghanaians

The MP’s revelations raise critical concerns about fiscal discipline and the government’s ability to manage resources efficiently. If expenditure continues to rise without clear justification, it could place further strain on Ghana’s economy, leading to increased taxation, inflation, and reduced social intervention programs.

As debates over the budget continue, many Ghanaians are left wondering: Is this truly the lean government that was promised, or just another administration using political optics to mask excessive spending?

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