Deputy Minister for Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, has disclosed that the government has tightened measures to ensure that all public institutions submit development plans to the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) before their budgets are approved.
The NDPC’s medium-term goal is to ensure effective coordination in the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of national policies and plans, while consolidating Ghana’s middle-income country status through sustained and accelerated growth.
Speaking before the Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday, November 4, he commended Parliament’s Economic Committee for playing a crucial role in enforcing this directive. As part of efforts to strengthen fiscal discipline, the Ministry of Finance, during budget hearings, ensured that all covered entities presented their plans for review and certification.
The Minister also highlighted the impact of the collaboration between the Ministry of Finance and the NDPC, noting that it has ensured national resources are aligned with well-defined development goals.
“I would like to use this opportunity to thank the Economic Committee of Parliament for the role they have played in ensuring that all covered entities submit their plans to the NDPC. They made a profound statement that if you do not have a plan, and you bring your budget here, Parliament will not approve your budget.”
“We even withheld their third-quarter allotments. Until you submit your plan for it to be certified by the NDPC, you will not get releases, because the budget must emanate from the plan. If you do not have a plan, then what are you annualising?
“So far, the collaboration is working, and I can say that NDPC has been very supportive”, he noted.