The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North, Dr. Kwamena Minta Nyarku, has sharply rebuked the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for characterizing the 2026 Budget Statement as a 'Kwashiorkor Budget,' a term implying severe malnourishment. Instead, he asserted the government's fiscal plan should be known as the 'Obiara bedidi' budget, meaning "everyone will eat."
The MP, popularly known as Ragga, challenged the minority's stance during the budget debate in Parliament on Wednesday, November 19, 2025. He argued that it was "unthinkable" for the NPP to use such pejorative terms, contending that the governing NDC's economic management in 2025 has already surpassed the NPP's performance in 2024.
Contrasting Economic Records
Dr. Nyarku presented a comparative analysis to bolster his argument, detailing what he described as the NPP's "abysmal performance" during their tenure. He cited a "debilitating decline of the cedi, spiralling inflation," and a failure to deliver on key campaign promises, including Agenda 111 hospitals, the 1-District-1-Factory policy, and the construction of a Cape Coast airport.
"With an unemployment rate of 13.5% under their watch, we never labelled their budget as 'Kwashiorkor'," Dr. Nyarku stated. "The economy today is growing at 6.3% in 2025 compared to 5.1% in 2024–their budget cannot be described as more prudent."
He highlighted strong sectoral growth in 2025–agriculture at 6%, services at 8.8%, and industry at over 3.2%–alongside increased household spending, higher export earnings, and reduced government expenditure as evidence of "careful management of public money."
A key point of his argument was the reduction of Ghana's public debt. "I'm surprised those on the other side cannot appreciate that public debt has declined from 69% to 45%," Dr. Nyarku said, emphasizing that "this is the first drop in a decade, signifying prudent management of the economy."
Addressing the Illegal Mining Menace
Shifting to the issue of illegal mining, or 'galamsey,' Dr. Nyarku turned the NPP's criticisms back on them. He reminded the chamber that it was during the NPP's era that the president "promised to put his presidency on the line" to combat the problem.
"Yet, after that declaration, the government registered over 1,990 companies to mine, both legitimately and illegally, across the country," he revealed.
To provide context, he cited data from the Ghana Mining Repository, noting that from 1989 to December 2016–a period spanning the PNDC, NDC, and NPP governments–only 19 mining licenses of various categories were issued. He argued that the explosion of licenses under the previous administration contradicted its professed commitment to fighting illegal mining.
In contrast, he pointed to a concrete government initiative outlined on page 69 of the 2026 budget: the Responsible Corporative Mining and Skill Development Programme (rCOMSDEP), launched in August 2025. He described the program as a consolidated effort to formalize small-scale mining, promote sustainable practices, provide alternative livelihoods, and eliminate mercury use.
A Budget of Hope
While acknowledging that "Ghanaians are not out of the woods yet," Dr. Nyarku concluded that the 2026 budget offers a credible path forward. Based on the presented economic indicators and new policy initiatives, he maintained that the fiscal plan seeks to address the nation's myriad challenges and delivers more tangible benefits to citizens, rightfully earning the tag 'Obiara bedidi'.
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