The Minority caucus demanded that the government provide definitive funding for public‑sector jobs and recruitment after Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament. Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo‑Markin criticised the government’s appeal for patience, arguing that Ghanaians need jobs and relief from rising living costs, not assurances about economic stability.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Afenyo‑Markin asked, “Whose patience?” after the minister warned that the work ahead would require patience. He said the government had been given time to prove its delivery capabilities and questioned why jobseekers were still being asked to wait after two years. The leader welcomed the government’s claim that it can meet payments under the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme but challenged whether the same provision applied to public‑sector workers and recruitment.
“But the question is that where is the money to pay JUSAG, the money to pay teachers, the money to pay nurses, and the money to recruit?” Afenyo‑Markin asked. He also demanded details on how many jobs the government had created and how the New Economy programme would be funded. The Minority caucus requested clarity on how much of the stated US$10 billion would be available in 2027 and which projects would receive funding, and how the programme differed from the government’s 24‑hour economy policy.
Addressing private‑sector employment, the leader argued that businesses need stronger incentives to invest and expand, warning that inadequate support would undermine job creation. He also questioned progress on the promised women’s bank, noting that the Finance Minister had not addressed it in the presentation. The Minority caucus will undertake a fuller examination of the budget after Parliament’s budget workshop, the leader said. For now, he maintained that the government must show how its proposals would translate into employment, recruitment and improved household incomes.
