Editorial: Favourable views greet Budget ahead of parliamentary debate

Government’s allocation to the education sector in the 2025 Budget has been described as both significant and unprecedented.

Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch), Kofi Asare, believes the commitments demonstrate government’s focus on improving education.

Uncapping GETFund through the process of amending the earmarked capping and Realignment Act of 2017 and then committing about GH¢145million to the capitation grant, about GH¢3.5billion to the Free SHS programme and in excess of GH¢500million for textbooks for basic schools are very significant allocations to education, Mr. Asare observed.

President-Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), Dr. Joseph Obeng, has also described the 2025 Budget Statement and Economic Policy as welcome. He noted that government has shown good intentions toward businesses and Ghanaians by the removal of some taxes.

Dr. Obeng expressed hope that the VAT reforms will bring positive changes to businesses as the Finance Minister promised to engage stakeholders in shaping the reforms. The Founding President of IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe, also shared his view of the 2025 Budget by describing it as a humane budget.

These notwithstanding, Professor Patrick Asuming, an economist, says the end-year inflation target of 11.9% is “a little aggressive”. Achieving this target will require significant effort, but he believes other macroeconomic goals are within reach.

The inflation rate eased marginally in February to 23.1%, down from 23.5% recorded in January 2025.

However, former Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei Asare has raised concerns over government’s decision to uncap the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund). She argues that reallocating GETFund resources to finance other expenditures could be deemed unconstitutional.

Her argument centres on the fact that the GETFund act is more of infrastructure while the Free SHS is more of goods and services.

Also, the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) has equally raised concerns over a proposed increase in the Growth and Sustainability Levy from 1 percent to 3 percent on the gross production of mining companies.

The AGI believes the move will negatively impact their operations. The levy affects industry in a big way and they intend to engage government about its extension.

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