Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has confirmed that government’s sector policy initiatives from agriculture sector, cocoa, education, health would be protected despite the announcement of cuts to government’s expenditure.
According to the Finance Minister, policy initiatives such as the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’, Free SHS, NHIS would not be affected by government cuts.
“..Despite the measures being taken to ensure that we maintain fiscal discipline, government remains strongly committed to growing the economy and delivering services to our people through strategic allocations and efficient use of resources.
Our flagship programmes such as Free SHS, NHIS, School Feeding, LEAP, Planting for Food and Jobs, will be protected.” he told Parliament when he presented the Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review.
Mr Ofori-Atta also stated that government has revised expenditures in a bid to strengthen revenue performance. The key revisions to expenditure include; 0.4 percent of GDP(GH?867.0m) adjustment to goods and services, 0.3percent of GDP(GH?553.2m) reduction in total transfers to other government units, which comprise all statutory and earmarked funds and 0.3percent of GDP(GH?683.0m) adjustment to capital expenditure.
Government has also reduced its 2017 budget deficit to 6.3 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) from 6.5 percent as they continue to press on with fiscal consolidation.
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- ‘Asempa’ budget brings nothing but bad news – Ato Forson
- Constitutional review to address democracy deficit
- Adwoa Safo busily fixes her wig as Parliament dissects 2017 mid-year review budget
- Free SHS students to get 4 core textbooks in first year
- Asempa budget brings nothing but bad news – Ato Forson
- Mid-year budget review comes off today
- Mid-year budget today
- Ofori-Atta presents mid-year budget review today
- LIVESTREAMING: Finance Minister presents Mid-year budget review before Parliament
- LIVE UPDATES: Ken Ofori-Atta presents mid-year budget review
- Economy worse than captured in 2017 budget – Ofori-Atta
- Full Text: 2017 Mid-Year Budget Review
- Asempa Budget brought Ghanaians hope – Finance Minister
- Mahama left Akufo-Addo ‘weak’ economy – Ofori-Atta
- Ghana’s economy on ‘life support’ – Minority
- Over 500,000 jobs to be created for galamseyers – Ofori-Atta
- We will protect Free SHS, NHIS, others from collapse – Ofori-Atta
- GDP hits 6.6%
- Our economy would have to live with this burden for sometime – Finance Minister
- Government may miss 2017 budget target over low expenditure – IFS
- No request for supplementary budget in midyear review
- Revise harmful tax treaties for companies – Actionaid Country Director
- Finance Minister reschedules mid-year review presentation to July 31
- GRA to release list of zero-rated spare parts
- Parliament scraps taxes on spare parts
- Finance Minister, GRA to meet Parliament over VAT law
- Enough of insults from Finance Minister and his Deputy – Minority warns
- $2bn bond: Government searches for transaction advisor
- $2bn bond: I have no details – AG to Adawudu
- $2bn bond: Attorney General’s ‘no details’ reply shocking – Adawudu
- AG’s response to questions about $2.25bn bond baffling – Lawyer
- Finance Minister requests 15 extra working days to respond to CHRAJ
- US$2.25 billion bond probe waste of time; NDC will be embarrassed – Baako
- Economy sinks to 22-year low; grows by only 3.5% in 2016
- Exercise restraint – IFS cautions government on expenditure
- BoG officials clear Finance Minister in controversial $2.25 bn bond issue
- We’re not on witch-hunting mission – PAC tells public officials
- Attacking Templeton unhealthy, could cost Ghana – Alhassan Andani
- 17.5% financial services VAT to reduce cost of services
- Bawumia’s hometown headquarters of Kayayei in Ghana – Ayariga
- $2.2bn bond deal ‘perfectly transparent’ – Casely Hayford
- Probe into $2.25 bn bond will leave ‘ignorant, mischievous’ NDC exposed – Baako
- Government’s reason for acquiring $2.25bn bond wrong – Economic analyst
- NDC lied about $2.3bn bond – Finance Ministry
- Minority so ‘ignorant’; I’m sad for them – Bawumia
- $2.25bn bond: Come again – Minority to Ministry of Finance
- Ignorant Minority must read – Bawumia
- Government debunks ‘secret’ US$2.25bn bond sale
- NDC lied about $2.3bn bond – Finance Ministry
- We don’t foresee tariff reduction – ACEP
- Bawumia must learn to speak with diplomacy and dignity – Richard Quashigah
- Withdraw and apologise for ignorant claim – Minority to Bawumia
- Akufo-Addo outdoors 750,000 jobs
- Attacks on $2.25bn bond baseless – Ministry of Finance
- ‘One-district, one-factory’ to begin in June
- Ofori Atta won’t resign; go to court – Kwarteng to minority
- No salary for 26,589 government workers
- Government begins roadshow to consolidate investor confidence in economy
- Debt profiling to avert weekly GHC1bn burden – Deputy Finance Minister
- Government borrowed for consumption not debt restructuring – Isaac Adongo
- President has borrowed $3billion in 3 Months – PERI Board Chair
- Government borrowed for consumption not debt restructuring – Isaac Adongo
- President has borrowed $3billion in 3 months – PERI Board Chair
- Government must be strategic in revenue mobilization – ACET
- Ghana may not continue with Mahama’s IMF programme – Ofori Atta hints
- 250,000 farmers to benefit from first phase of Planting for Food and Jobs
- Cedi stability not artificial; backed by solid policies – Finance Minister
- Government to lose GH¢308.30million due to reduction of energy sector levies
- Exercise restraint – GRA to spare parts dealers
- Government to lose GHC308.30m due to reduction of energy sector levies
- Analyst questions new tax exemption rules
- Ghana is committed to meeting the SDGs – Minister
- Achievement of the 2017 budget depends on GRA – George Kwatia
- Spare parts dealers meet government over tax cuts
- I will lead GRA to collect VAT at Abossey Okai – Siaw Ampadu
- Half a loaf is better than none – Importers tell Ato Forson
- Government will deal with public purse honestly – Akufo-Addo
- No tax cuts for Abossey Okai spare parts traders
- 15% transport fares increment justifiable – GPRTU
- Your programmes and policies only favour the rich – Ato Forson to NPP
- Prices of spare parts not cut yet – Spare parts dealers
- Minister grabs $2.3bn in historic deal
- Parliament approves Ghc64bill Appropriation Bill
- Value Added Tax Amendment Bill passed
- No cause for alarm…Ofori-Atta assures
- 2017 budget estimates inconsistent – Minority
- Budget estimates deceptive – Ato Forson
- Finance Minister indirectly shoots down one-district, one-factory policy?
- Government’s octopus style of raising revenue will sink Ghana – Ato Forson
- Government to introduce legislation to safeguard Zongo Development Fund
- Breakdown of Government’s energy sector debt – Infograph
- Tax cuts must drive exports to cushion cedi – Stanbic CEO
- Minority kicks against earmarked fund capping and realignment bill
- 85% of local gov’t budget expected from donors
- 85% of local gov’t budget expected from donors
- Set clear employment targets – TUC to govt
- 2017 Budget, a wakeup call to entrepreneurs – Mike Nyinaku
- Minority slams Speaker
- Slash in statutory funds: Minority threatens court action
- TUC hails ‘ambitious’ 2017 budget
- PPI for February is 5.4%
- Redesign Sinking Fund to fund free SHS – Manteaw
- Minority Leader accuses Finance Minister of breaching District Assembly Common Fund law
- NDC MPs head to SC over reduction of District Assembly Fund
- Parliament approves over 320 million cedis for Local Government Ministry
- NDC MPs head to SC over reduction of District Assembly Fund
- ‘Asempa’ budget or ‘419’ budget?
- NDC MP threatens court action over approval of 2017 budget
- Ofori-Atta confident of achieving budget targets
- It will take time for interest rates to decline – Economist
- Government to regulate cashew industry to stimulate development
- MMDA’s to scrap levies charged “Kayayei” – Minister
- Income Tax amendment bill passed
- Parliament approves 2017 budget after fierce Majority, Minority debate
- Minority accuse Speaker of bias
- ACEP urges upward review of allocation to stabilisation fund
- Tax cuts: Ofori-Atta lays amendment bills before parliament
- ‘Planting for food and jobs’ needs clarity – ISSER
- Government must cut expenditure to reduce interest rates – Ken Thompson
- Parliament to pass four tax cuts
- Reconsider benchmark formula for oil revenue – ACEP charges government
- Parliament approves 2017 budget
- Clarify how Ghanaians will benefit from tax cuts – Minority demands
- NDC performed better with a GDP growth of 5.9 % – Fifi Kwetey
- Kwabena Duffuor applauds 2017 Budget
- Budget built on weak foundation – IFS
- 2017 Budget creditable due to NDC’s good initiatives – Kofi Adams
- 2017 Budget creditable due to NDC’s good initiatives – Kofi Adams
- Finance Minister submits tax cut amendment bills to Parliament
- Budget will collapse manufacturing companies – Isaac Adongo
- Minority threatens not to support 2017 budget
- Mahama gov’t ‘broke’ the law; overspent budget by GHC8bn in 2016 – Majority
- Govt must be fiscally disciplined to implement 2017 budget- ISSER
- 2017 budget not a panacea to reduce policy rate – Economist
- 2017 budget silent on funding of Office of Special Prosecutor – SEND-GHANA
- Minority criticises government for allocating GH¢1.5bn to presidency
- Gov’t to lay tax cut policies to Parliament under certificate of urgency
- Reduce high charges on building materials – Importers
- Budget will create economy of petty traders- Minority predicts
- Government must be fiscally disciplined to implement 2017 budget – ISSER
- Tax measures will boost revenue collection – Finance Minister
- NPP copied special initiatives from NDC – Richard Quashigah
- FirstBanC MD says 2017 budget is achievable but warns of risk factors
- Reduction in public lighting levy, others woefully inadequate
- Government urged to use euphoria on tax cuts to broaden tax net
- Budget silent on jobs – MP
- Nana raises Soldiers’ ’allawa’
- Tax reliefs in budget will boost tax collection efforts – GRA
- NDC MPs decry GHC1.5bn allocation to Office of The President
- MPs clash over budget ‘plagiarism’
- Philosophy behind 2017 Budget – ISSER Explains
- Planting for Food and Job lacks implementation plan – ISSER
- Ato Forson’s spare parts rubbish dump comments insensitive – Suame dealers
- 2017 Budget; The agric sector in perspective
- Majority, Minority ‘fight’ over budget
- Atiwa MP silences Minority on budget
- 2017 Budget: Government proposals to fix energy sector weak – ACEP
- Depreciation of cedis not unprecedented – Oppong Nkrumah
- Good riddance, NDC copycats!
- Was Pratt on hard drugs when he criticized Ofori-Attah’s christianized budget?
- Abolished levies will create problems for Assemblies – Brogya
- 2017 budget not populist – Mustapha Hamid
- Accra Marine Drive Project to start in 2017
- Ofori-Atta breaks Eurobond cycle
- Ofori-Atta justifies tax cuts
- I’ve never seen anything like 2017 budget – Osafo Marfo
- Government to tap into statutory funds to redeem campaign promises
- Tax cuts won’t affect government revenue – Mustapha Hamid
- There is hope in the budget – PPP’s John Sterling
- Government to tap into statutory funds to redeem campaign promises
- Set Kayayei up in vocational training – MP advocates
- NPP’s ‘419 budget’ avoided significant promises – Fifi Kwetey
- Prostitutes ‘fight’ Akufo-Addo over 2017 Budget
- Government to add 1227MW power
- Government will shift focus of education system – Finance Minister
- Gov’t may reduce expenditure over tax cuts – Terkper
- Government will miss 2017 revenue targets – Minority predicts
- Prostitutes ‘fight’ Akufo-Addo over 2017 Budget
- ‘419 placards’ reminded me of Philippians 4:19 – Ofori-Atta
- 2017 budget has ‘vindicated’ us – Kwaku Kwarteng
- Regulate the importation of used spare parts – Government warned
- 2017 budget “met our expectations” – ICU
- Aspects of 2017 Budget an Ananse story – Pratt
- Don’t fail Ghanaians; scrutinise budget thoroughly – Majority Leader tells MPs
- Budget exposed NPP’s ‘monumental deception’ – Minority
- 2017 budget presents new sense of hope – Bawumia
- Government to reduce critical expenditure over tax cuts – Terkper
- IEA lauds government decision to establish Fiscal Council
- Akufo-Addo has already broken five campaign promises – Haruna Iddrisu
- Mona Quartey praises NPP for ‘Asempa’ budget says it has hope
- 2017 budget unrealistic – Ricketts-Hagan
- 2017 budget: Enforcement of tax laws needed – Lecturer
- Tax cuts: Tackle fundamental issues – Jantuah tells government
- Scrapping ‘kayayei’ toll undermines local government – Avedzi
- NDC cries over ‘Asempa’ budget
- NPP’s ‘419 budget’ avoided significant promises – Fiifi Kwetey
- Minority flays government over tax cuts, abolition
- Economist flags ‘implementation challenges’ in 2017 budget
- Pratt attacks Ken Ofori-Atta for preaching Jesus during budget presentation
- Sadly, the 2017 budget didn’t mention galamsey even once!
- A Pledge to Keep: NPP budget and the election promises
- IFS Analyst throws out NDC’s ‘we borrowed for infrastructure’ mantra
- IEA lauds government decision to establish Fiscal Council
- Government allocates ?45.8M for Sports development
- Defying ban on placards, most uncultured – Osei Kyei-Mensah to Minority MPs
- Government will shift focus of education system- Finance Minister
- 2017 Budget: Government moves to make corruption a felony
- Wages, salaries to swallow GHC16bn – Ofori-Atta
- GHS456m for 1-District-1-Factory promise
- Government lacks ‘wherewithal’ to scrap ‘kaya’ toll – Terkper
- GHS252m for nurse, teacher trainee allowances
- See the MPs who flouted the ‘no placard’ directive
- Key highlights of 2017 budget
- SSNIT database to fight ghost names in government payroll
- ‘Kaya tax’ nonexistent – Benjamin Kunbuor
- Government moves to make corruption a felony
- Government will shift focus of education system – Finance Minister
- IMANI’s quick picks from Ghana’s post 2016 election budget
- Budget has frightened NDC – Akoto-Osei
- Tax cuts apt – Financial Analyst
- Cedi was stable for 2016 period – Finance Minister
- IMANI’s quick picks from Ghana’s post 2016 election budget
- Tax cuts will boost local businesses – Kwaku Kwarteng
- Populist and 419 budget is a jeopardy for the medium term – Ato Forson
- 2016: Ghana bags US$207m from oil, 29% dip
- Budget can’t achieve targets — Minority
- 2017 Budget is ‘Kasapa’ Budget – Atta Mills
- Creative Arts remains one of the most underdeveloped sectors – Minister
- Import levy killed us – Spare Parts dealers
- NDC always presented ‘kwashiorkor’ budget statements – Wontumi
- 2017 Budget will unleash more hardships on Ghanaians – Fifi Kwetey
- Budget 2017: We’re against ECG privatisation – Staff
- Kayayei jubilate in Kumasi
- VAT removal will revamp domestic aviation industry – Players
- Defying ban on placards, most uncultured – Mensah Bonsu tells Minority MPs
- ‘Asempa’ Budget dazes NDC
- ‘Kaya tax’ scrap makes government look kind – Adu-Amankwah
- We’ll pass RTI bill – Ofori-Atta
- ‘Asempa budget’ triggers jubilation
- ‘Asempa’ budget ‘shallow’, a run-away-from-reality – Mona Quartey
- Electricity VAT must go – Ishmael Edjekumhene
- Spare parts dealers to stage thank you demonstration – Chairman hints
- Government to return economy on track
- Come on board and help advance development – Kwamena Duncan
- Scrapping Kayayei toll ‘discriminatory’ – Terkper
- Textile workers hit the streets next week over ‘deceptive’ budget
- 2017 Budget: AGI welcomes tax cuts
- Government Scraps 11 ‘Nuisance’ Taxes
- Seth Tekper warns Akufo-Addo, Ofori-Atta over ‘reckless’ tax abolishment
- Heckling in parliament customary – Lecturer
- NPP’s ‘asempa budget’ is encouraging – ISODEC
- Corruption is already a felony offence – Lardy Anyenini
- Restore collapsed factories first – ICU to Akufo-Addo
- 2017 Budget populist, not deceptive – Mona Quartey contradicts Ato Forson
- Government must fulfill promises – AGI
- Ghana could become dumping grounds for spare parts – Terkper
- We can’t approve budget without knowing president’s cabinet – Minority Leader
- How Ghanaians reacted to Akufo-Addo’s tax cuts
- ‘Asempa Budget’ : A deep sigh of relief
- 2017 budget a betrayal of trust – Minority
- 2017 budget: GREDA grateful for tax cut
- We can’t approve budget without knowing President’s cabinet – Minority Leader
- We can’t approve budget without knowing President’s cabinet – Minority Leader
- 2017 budget: This is just the beginning, there is more to come – Bawumia
- Nana Addo is a ‘Show boy’ – Abossey Okai spare part dealers
- ‘You are different from Bawumia’ – Minority praises Ken Ofori-Atta
- Declare State Owned Enterprises you want to sell – Minority to government
- Stable currency is as important to us as cuts in taxes – Kweku Kwarteng
- IEA lauds government’s intention of establishing a Fiscal Policy Council
- 2017 budget disappointing – Mubarak
- Ken Ofori-Atta presents 2017 Budget
- We can’t borrow our way out – Finance Minister
- Govt to scrap petrol duty – Ofori-Atta
- Let’s all be in hurry to fix Ghana – Ofori-Atta
- Tax reforms and debt management to dominate 2017 Budget
- LIVE UPDATES: Ken Ofori-Atta presents 2017 budget statement
- Will there be hope in Akufo-Addo’s maiden budget?
- High expectations as Finance Minister presents first Akufo-Addo’s budget
- Budget can make vehicle owners, commuters happy – Gabby Otchere-Darko
- Police Chief to meets Kumasi journalists today
- High expectations as new NPP government presents maiden Budget
- Bawumia’s ‘economics wizardry’ must reflect in budget – MP
- What the 2017(q2-q4) Budget must address
- LIVESTREAMING: Finance Minister presents 2017 Budget statement
- 2017 Budget: Ofori-Atta needs prayers – Jackson
- Gabby Otchere-Darko drops hints on what to expect from Budget
- Ken Ofori-Atta storms Parliament
- We’ll restore fiscal discipline – Ofori-Atta
- Reducing statutory fund allocations will slow development – James Avedzi
- Bawumia storms Parliament to observe 2017 budget statement
- Ofori-Atta identifies 5 constraints to economic growth
- Finance Minister outlines steps to reduce Ghana’s suffocating debt burden
- Akufo-Addo to roll out 7 programmes in 2017
- 2017 Budget: We’ll not tolerate waste in government spending – Ofori-Atta
- 2017 Budget has nothing new to offer – Ato Forson
- Let’s all be in hurry to fix Ghana – Ofori-Atta
- NPP to revive ‘operation feed yourself’
- We can’t borrow our way out – Finance Minister
- FULL SPEECH: Government abolishes ‘Kayayei tax’ in maiden budget
- Government to scrap petrol duty – Ofori-Atta
- ‘1-district, 1-factory’ to create over 350,000 jobs nationwide – Finance Minister
- Government targets overall real GDP growth of 6.3% in 2017
- GHC456m budgeted for ‘1-district-1-factory’ project
- Gh¢252m earmarked to restore allowances of 120k nurses, teachers
- Taxes on airline fares, spare parts abolished – Ofori-Atta
- GHS400m for Free SHS – Government
- ‘Stimulus package’ for one-district-one-dam will create 350,000 jobs – Finance Minister
- NDC MPs flout ban on displaying of placards in Parliament
- Importers excited over abolishment of 1% import duty levy
- 2017 Budget: Government to roll out NPP version of ‘operation feed yourself’
- GHC16billion will be allocated to wages, salaries – Ofori-Atta
- Minority brands 2017 budget ‘419’
- Import duties on auto spare parts to be abolished – 2017 Budget
- Mahama left Akufo-Addo 5 loaves, 2 fish to feed 25million – Ofori-Atta
- Budget concrete enough, all Akufo-Addo’s pledges will be fulfilled – Anthony Karbo
- FULL TEXT: 2017 budget statement
- We’ll deliver with 5 loaves of bread, 2 fishes – Ofori-Atta
- Jubilation in Abossey Okai over spare parts tax removal
- Ken Ofori-Atta presents 2017 Budget
- ‘Planting for food and jobs’ to create 750, 000 jobs – Ofori-Atta
- 2017 budget promises one million jobs
- Government scraps ‘Kayayei tax’
- Gov’t to introduce digital addressing system to protect lands, other properties
- Gov’t to develop tourist sites to world-class standards – Finance Minister
- 2017 budget disappointing – Ras Mubarak
- Biblical Ofori-Atta tags ‘5-loaves-2-fishes’ budget ‘Asempa Budget’
- List of taxes abolished and reviewed by government
- ‘Kaya tax’ does not exist – Benjamin Kunbuor
- We are in a hurry to fix Ghana – Ofori-Atta
- Akufo-Addo has not reduced anything yet – Haruna Iddrisu
- Liquidity of banks to improve gov’t pays SOE debts – Ofori-Atta
- Kumasi-Paga rail lines, others captured in 2017 budget
- Abolishing spare parts tax will encourage smuggling – Seth Terkper
- Government will give Efua Sutherland park face lift – Finance Minister
- $1m per constituency to be implemented under Poverty Eradication Project
- Economy projected to grow by 6.3% in 2017
- How social media reacted to 2017 budget
- Public workers without biometric SSNIT ID to be removed from payroll
- Free SHS to be funded with ABFA
- 2017 budget bereft of specificity – Minority
- 2017 Budget: Taxes on airline fares, spare parts abolished
- Abossey-Okai spare parts dealers jubilate over tax cut
- 2017 Budget: Importers laud President Akufo-Addo
- Restoration of trainee allowances to cost GH¢252.2 million
- 2017 Budget: Importers laud Akufo-Addo
- Akufo-Addo to roll out 7 programmes in 2017
- 2017 budget statement in snapshots
- Gov’t to review ‘basic education’ to include Senior High Schools
- Do selective 1-village-1-dam policy to avoid wasting resources – Akufo-Addo told
- Ghana to be dumping ground for over-aged spare parts – Ato Forson
- Tetteh Chaie lauds government for abolishing tax on spare parts
- AGI disappointed in government for not reducing electricity tariff
- Spare parts dealers to thank Akufo-Addo over 2017 budget
- Stimulus package in 2017 budget juicy – Peter Quartey
- Akufo-Addo’s tax cuts deceptive, populist – Ato Forson
- Akufo-Addo’s removal of Kayayei levy discriminatory – Oko Vanderpuije
- Only Form 1 students to be covered in 1st year of Free SHS – Akoto-Osei
- Government will pay state debts by improving liquidity for banks – Ofori-Atta
- IMANI’s 2017 pre-budget litmus test for government
- Tax cuts, job losses top expectations of 2017 budget
- Expunge free SHS from national budget – Odike appeals to Government
- 2017 Budget to focus on stimulating growth, job creation
- PNC, CPP want 2017 budget to address unemployment
- What Ghanaians expect from 2017 budget statement
- 2017 Budget: Ofori-Atta needs prayers – Financial analyst
- IMANI’s 2017 pre-budget litmus test for government
- Nana Addo’s maiden budget will focus on restructuring – Economist
- 2017 budget would be business friendly – Finance minister assures
- 2017 Budget must reduce cost of doing business – Government told
- Industrial policy grows mouldy, Industrial Dev’t Fund never established five years on
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- Financial stocks lead market revival, setting tone for bullish year