By: Ashiadey Dotse
Economist, Dr. Frank Banor, has warned that the 2026 Budget could repeat the same failures seen in the 2025 financial year if government does not show stronger commitment to its own promises.
Speaking in an interview on GTV’s Breakfast Show on Monday November 24, 2025, Dr. Banor said the government’s inability to fulfil key commitments in the 2025 Budget raises serious concerns about the credibility of the new budget.
He explained that although the government promised major job creation interventions, many of the allocations made in the 2025 Budget were not released or implemented. According to him, this same pattern is already appearing in the 2026 Budget.
Dr. Banor noted that one of the biggest examples is the 24-hour economy programme. He said only GH¢110 million was announced as government’s commitment, but the budget appendices show a different figure of GH¢90 million creating confusion about the actual allocation.
He argued that the 24-hour economy requires far more funding to take off successfully, yet government has committed less than 10 percent of what is needed. “If government cannot show at least 50 to 60 percent commitment to its flagship programmes, then these policies will not see the light of day,” he stressed.
The economist added that inconsistencies also exist in the government’s “Big Push” initiative. He said out of the GH¢25 billion approved in the 2025 Budget, only GH¢9 billion has been committed so far, making it difficult for the programme to achieve its target.
Dr. Banor further revealed that Parliament approved GH¢279 million for the Groove Board, but less than GH¢10,000 has reportedly been released. This, he said, worsens doubts about government’s ability to honour its commitments.
“If you promise to build a house but release only a small fraction of the money, that house will never be completed. That is what we are seeing with the current budget performance,” he said.
He argued that this shows government’s priorities may be influenced more by procurement interests than by essential public needs like healthcare.
Dr. Banor cautioned that unless government improves its release of funds and stays committed to its promises, the 2026 Budget will struggle to achieve its goals just as the 2025 Budget did.
