Afenyo-Markin describes 2025 budget as 'Azaa Budget' with no hope for Ghanaian youth

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Minority Caucus in Parliament has described the 2025 Budget and Economic Policy Statement as an “Azaa Budget” (meaning a scam) without offering any hope and inspiration for the Ghanaian youth.

Mr Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader, while commenting on the Budget presented by the Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, on Tuesday, said the Budget was full of lamentations, like the President’s State of the Nation Address.

He wondered how a major policy like the 24-hour economy policy, which featured prominently in the electioneering in 2024 was missing in this year’s budget.

The Minority Leader noted that the youth were waiting anxiously to hear how the 24-hour economy policy would bring economic transformation and create jobs, however, they were disappointed to hear that the details of the policy were not ready.

“The budget has no hope or inspiration, but only repetition of social intervention programmes,” Mr Afenyo-Markin stated.

The Minority Leader also wondered how the Government complained bitterly about the state of the economy inherited from the New Patriotic Party Government, describing it as “criminally managed and in crisis” could grow at 5.7 per cent in 2024 as statistics released by the Ghana Statistical Service had revealed.

“The economy in 2024 grew by 5.7 per cent GDP with four months import cover. Under Mahama’s reset, it is projecting four per cent growth and three months import cover,” he noted.

The presentation of the budget comes on the heels of an economic dialogue, organised by the Government last week, which brought together the finest brains and key stakeholders to brainstorm on the current economic challenges.

It is expected that the Budget would spur macro-economic stability, restore good governance, structural policy reforms, infrastructure development, and enhance productivity and economic growth.

-GNA