SEND GHANA PRESENTS KEY ANALYSIS OF THE 2024 NATIONAL BUDGET STATEMENT AND ECONOMIC POLICY

Overview

SEND Ghana analyzed Ghana’s 2024 national budget with a 5-year sectoral review (2020–2024) covering Health, Education, Agriculture, Social Protection, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), and Taxation. The goal is to promote inclusivity, equity, and sustainable development through informed policy recommendations.

Key Sectoral Messages

Health

• NHIL Reform: Remove caps on the National Health Insurance Levy to improve healthcare delivery.
• Donor Decline: Development partner support is expected to fall sharply (from GHS 2.996bn to GHS 603m).
• COVID-19 Levy: Rebrand it as a Public Health Emergency Levy and create a dedicated emergency fund.
• Adolescent Health: Create youth-friendly health corners in all facilities amid rising HIV infections in young people.

Education

• GETFund Cap Removal: Uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund to address infrastructure deficits.
• Spending Shortfall: Budget allocation (11.4%) is below the 12–15% global benchmark; capital expenditure reduced drastically.

Social Protection

• LEAP Reassessment: Reevaluate beneficiary eligibility to improve targeting and sustainability.
• Low Investment: Social protection budget remains under 1% of GDP; recommend increasing to 2.0% to meet global standards.
• Coverage Gap: Over 2.4 million Ghanaians in extreme poverty still not adequately supported.

Agriculture

• Underfunding: Government consistently allocates only ~2% of budget vs. 10% CAADP commitment.
• High Food Inflation: Despite flagship programs, food prices remain high; calls for greater investment to ensure food security.

WASH

• Funding Cuts: Budget dropped from GHS 1.847bn (2023) to GHS 591m (2024); only 0.13% of GDP.
• Sanitation Levy: Ensure full use of sanitation levy proceeds for intended interventions.

Taxation

• Revenue Shortfalls: Tax-to-GDP ratio remains low (projected 13.6% in 2024 vs. 15.6% African average).
• Road Tolls: Reintroduce tolls with automated systems for efficiency and accountability.
• Tax Exemptions: Reduce unnecessary waivers; current exemptions cost GHS 5.5 billion.

Conclusion

SEND Ghana urges the government to implement its recommendations to ensure effective budget execution, transparency, and equitable development. Stakeholder collaboration is critical to meeting the needs of vulnerable populations and strengthening Ghana’s socio-economic foundation.

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