Deputy Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, has revealed that the Union will seriously digest the 2023 budget presented by the finance minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, on Monday.

According to him, he is disappointed and that the union’s post budget assessment on Monday November 28, 2022, will fully respond to the government’s budget for the 2023 fiscal year.

Describing the hiring freeze as unfortunate, Mr Ansah noted that there is already a “teeming unemployment situation” in the country. As such, if employment within the public sector in 2023 won’t be possible, then it will negatively impact the high rate of unemployment in the country.

“This budget was read and TUC, normally after the budget, we have our post budget meeting where the committee for social and economic and political organization committee meet to digest the budget and then advise the TUC on the way forward. So, on Monday, God’s will, we are going to hold that very meeting then, immediately after that we will actually announce our reaction or position on the budget.”
Joshua Ansah

The Deputy Secretary General of TUC explained that he is disappointed by some aspect of the budget. He indicated that the union requested government not to accept any condition from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with regards to an embargo on employment in the country.

“…When the IMF team were here, that was something that TUC actually pointed out to government that as for IMF they normally come out with conditionality and one of their conditions is to freeze employment and that is what we don’t want to hear. Unfortunately, it has come. So, TUC will seriously digest the budget on Monday and come out with our position.”
Joshua Ansah

Drastic measures carried out by government

Meanwhile, a Deputy Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Abdul Kamal Deen, revealed that the government acknowledges that times are hard for Ghanaians hence, the drastic measures taken in the 2023 budget statement.

Commenting on the embargo placed on employment into the public and civil service, he indicated that it means “those who have reached retirement age must go for them to be replaced”.

It will be recalled that the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, while presenting the 2023 budget statement on Thursday, November 24, 2022, announced the decision to freeze hiring within the public sector by government as part of measures to reduce the soaring public expenditure. He stated that this is geared towards expenditure rationalization going forward.

Among other things, Mr Ofori-Atta emphasized that there will be a ban on the use of V8s/V6s or its equivalent except for cross country travel in 2023. Additionally, government vehicles would be registered with GV green number plates from January 2023.

He further noted that there will be limited budgetary allocation for the purchase of vehicles and for the avoidance of doubt, purchase of new vehicles shall be restricted to locally assembled vehicles.