Minority slams 2026 budget as growthless, jobless, and minimalist

The Minority in Parliament has described the 2026 Budget as “growthless, jobless, and minimalist”, arguing that it fails to tackle Ghana’s pressing economic challenges.

Speaking to the press on Friday, November 14, former Finance Minister and MP Amin Adam, representing the Minority, criticised the budget for lacking substance and offering only “cosmetic rhetoric” from what he called a “crawling government”.

“Ghana needs a budget that reflects realistic revenues, boosts productive investment, protects fiscal credibility, and enables the private sector to lead job creation. The 2026 budget is what we call the galamsey budget which falls short on all counts. It is growthless, jobless, and minimalist,” he said.

Dr. Adam argued that the budget fails to prioritise job creation, productivity, or economic transformation.

“Investment remains low, revenue projections are overly optimistic, and borrowing pressures are high. Major fiscal risks are under-discussed, and flagship programmes lack transparency and clear budget commitment,” he explained.

He warned that the government’s strategy of cutting expenditure to appear fiscally prudent could backfire.

“A shrinking GDP base and revenue shortfalls automatically raise the debt-to-GDP ratio, even if the cash deficit looks narrow. True sustainability requires real growth and credible revenue mobilisation, not austerity that weakens both,” he said.

The Minority also highlighted hidden fiscal risks, including uncovered government auctions, unattractive short-term debt, unquantified liabilities of state-owned enterprises, and insufficient integration of climate and disaster risks into fiscal planning.

“Without addressing these risks, fiscal stability will be short-lived. Policies without clear budget backing risk becoming slogans rather than deliverable programmes,” Dr. Adam added.

He criticised the government’s overall economic management, saying: “The economy is not as healthy as the minister claims. Citizens face empty pockets, declining demand, cautious investors, and ministries struggling with basic resources.”

Dr. Adam called for genuine economic leadership, real fiscal discipline, and a government focused on results rather than excuses.
“What Ghanaians need is economic transformation, not stagnation disguised as progress. Unfortunately, the 2026 budget offers little hope of delivering that,” he noted.