The Minority in Parliament has criticised the government over its employment projections in the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy, arguing that citizens need immediate job opportunities rather than distant promises stretching to 2030.
Delivering the caucus’s initial reaction to the media in Parliament shortly after Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson presented the fiscal policy, former Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam expressed disappointment over the timeline attached to the administration’s flagship 24-Hour Economy programme.
Dr. Amin Adam noted that ahead of the budget reading, the Minority had already flagged unemployment as the foremost concern among Ghanaians, particularly the youth. He pointed out that independent findings backed their stance, referencing a pre-budget report released by KPMG and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). According to the data he cited, 71 per cent of Ghanaians ranked job creation as their top priority, while another 54 per cent identified the rising cost of living as a major burden.
Despite these urgent pressures, the former Finance Minister argued that the government’s response offers no immediate relief. He explained that the newly introduced 24-Hour Economy is structured as a medium-term programme spanning 2027 to 2030, with its target of reducing unemployment below eight per cent set for the end of that decade.
Addressing the expectations of unemployed citizens, Dr. Amin Adam stated that “those who were hoping that the new economy would give them jobs, I am sorry to tell them, the government is expecting to deliver these jobs in 2030.”
He maintained that the 2027 budget failed to meet the moment for struggling households looking for immediate employment avenues, stressing that “while Ghanaians are crying for jobs now, and they were expecting the 2027 budget to give them the jobs, the government is promising the jobs in 2030.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana