In a heated parliamentary debate over the 2025 Budget, Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications debunked claims made by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) regarding budget allocations to the Office of the President.
Addressing the House, the Spokesperson for President Mahama accused the opposition of waging a “campaign of disinformation” aimed at demonizing the budget and misleading the public.
He reaffirmed that Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, during the budget reading, had provided evidence of severe economic mismanagement under the previous NPP administration.
He noted that President Mahama’s government inherited an economy in “total disarray,” with key economic indices reflecting the poor handling of national resources over the past eight years.
He argued that these statements were based on factual data and should not generate controversy.
“Mister Speaker, because of that our colleagues on the other side know that the finance minister has provided evidence of mismanagement of the economy in the eight years that they were in power, they have begun to wage a campaign of disinformation with a view to demonizing these budgets”.
Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications
The Minister categorically denied allegations by the NPP that the Office of the President had been allocated GHS 2.7 billion, which they claimed was a significant increase from the 2024 allocation.
He clarified that this figure covered salaries and wages for civil servants under the Office of Government Machinery, which comprises 30 different agencies.
He further revealed that the Mahama administration had absorbed seven agencies from collapsed ministries, adding 11,657 civil servants to the payroll.
“When we speak about the office of the president, it is made up of six units. It is made up of the general administration, the office of the chief of staff, the vice president secretariat, the cabinet secretariat, the press secretariat, policy coordination, and delivery units.
“In addition to this, Mister Speaker, there are 24 different agencies that add up to these six to make up 30 different agencies which constitute what we call the office of government machinery. They have claimed that under them, there were only eight agencies. Mister Speaker, that is not true – there were 23.
Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications
Thus, according to Kwakye Ofosu, the increase in budgetary allocation was a direct result of higher staff numbers, not extravagant spending by the President.
He also refuted claims that his office had received GHS 78 million, explaining that the amount was designated for three key agencies under his supervision—the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Information Services Department, and the Ghana News Agency.
These agencies, with a combined workforce of 2,537 civil servants, had actually received a budget that was “woefully inadequate” to meet their operational needs.
He cited, for instance, that the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation alone required GHS 36 million to establish a presence in the newly created six regions.
Additionally, Kwakye Ofosu addressed the claim that GHS 50 million had been allocated to the Office of the President for research.
He dismissed this as false, accusing the opposition of fabricating figures for political gain. According to him, the allocation of GHS 50 million was allocated to the research department under the National Investigation Bureau.
Government’s Cost-Saving Measures
Emphasizing President Mahama’s commitment to fiscal discipline, Kwakye Ofosu pointed out that the budget for the Office of Government Machinery had actually been reduced.
“In 2024, this entity, with 1,200 employees, was allocated GHS 1.54 billion for goods and services and capital expenditure. However, in 2025, despite the significant increase in civil servants to 11,657, the allocation had been cut to GHS 1.17 billion—a reduction of GHS 419 million”.
Hon. Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications
He further highlighted a major reduction in the number of political appointees, revealing that under the previous administration, there were 336 political appointees at the Office of the President.
According to him, in contrast, President Mahama had appointed only 27 staffers and three directors, reducing the number by 306.
Similarly, Kwakye Ofosu indicated that the government’s communication machinery had been significantly downsized from 106 personnel under the NPP to just seven under President Mahama, leading to substantial savings.
Major Allocations in the 2025 Budget
The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications underscored that the government was prioritizing social interventions rather than excessive spending on the presidency.
He listed key budgetary allocations, including GHS 44 billion dedicated to various programs under President Mahama’s 120-day social contract with Ghanaians.
These include the allocation of GHS 13.85 billion for the $10 billion”Big Push” initiative aimed at infrastructure development, and GHS 1.49 billion allocated for the No Academic Fees Policy to support first year tertiary students.
He also mentioned the allocation of GHS 292.4 million for the distribution of free sanitary towels to schoolgirls, GHS 242.5 million for victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage and GHS 200 million for relief efforts following tidal wave disasters in the Volta Region.
Others include the allocation of GHS 3.5 billion to sustain the Free SHS program and GHS 564.6 million for the provision of free curricular textbooks.
Hon. Kwakye Ofosu accused the opposition of spreading falsehoods to create a misleading narrative about the budget.
He urged Ghanaians to scrutinize the facts and recognize that President Mahama’s administration was making efforts to stabilize the economy while reducing wasteful spending.
He concluded his address by labelling the NPP’s tenure as a period of “economic atrocities” and asserted that the Mahama government is committed to transparency, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility.
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