Government spending more on itself while cutting support for the poor – Minority

The Minority has accused the government of prioritising its own expenditure over social protection, citing a 35% reduction in allocations for key interventions intended to support vulnerable households in the 2027 Budget.

Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, said funding for programmes including the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), school feeding and capitation grants would decline from GH¢3.46 billion in 2026 to GH¢2.26 billion in 2027.

He argued that the reduction was inconsistent with the economic difficulties facing households, particularly those struggling with the cost of basic goods and services.

Dr Amin Adam further noted that only GH¢1.84 billion of the GH¢3.46 billion allocated to the programmes in 2026 had been paid by October, raising concerns about the actual release of funds for social interventions.

“The Government is spending more on itself while it cuts transfers to the poorest,” he said.

He also questioned the adequacy of the proposed lifeline electricity support, which has been allocated GH¢50 million for 2027, despite no payments being made under the programme by October 2026.

The Minority said the government must explain how it intends to protect vulnerable households when allocations for major social intervention programmes are being reduced.