‘Make Annual Budget Statement clear’

The current exclusion of the citizenry in the planning of Ghana’s budgets could partly be blamed on the prevailing mismanagement, misappropriation and unbridled dissipation of public sector funds which have led to high fiscal deficits.

Albert Kan Dapaah, former chairman of the Public Account Committee of Parliament, made this known at a media sensitization workshop in Kumasi recently.

He said the government owed the people an explanation on how monies collected through taxes or grants were spent, adding that a budget statement was all about revenues and expenditure.

According to him, government must do more to ensure easy comprehension and transparency of annual budget statements.

Noting that this would enable the citizenry offer constructive inputs and critiques on how revenues have been utilized to the benefit of the masses, he added that it will give opportunity to the people to exercise their democratic rights by demanding accountability and prudent management of state resources which government holds in trust for economic development.

The media sensitization workshop, dubbed: “Roadshow on Citizens’ Budget”, was put together by Penplusbytes, a media organization committed to upgrading the knowledge of journalists on the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT).

The event witnessed the introduction of an abridged booklet on the budget statement and the economic policy of the Government of Ghana for 2014 financial year published to facilitate the public’s participation in governance.

Jerry Sam, Projects Director for Pensplusbytes, outlining some of the reasons for the revision of the Budget Document for the period under review, said it was to ensure continued pursuit of economic growth as well as adjust to accommodate higher interest costs caused by rising interest rates, higher borrowing and exchange rates depreciation.

He said other factors that informed the revision were higher foreign financed capital expenditure due to exchange rate depreciation, higher subsidies for utilities and petroleum products, upward compensation payments to public sector workers, as well as lower tax revenues and grants.