Minority condemns 35% reduction in funding for social interventions

The Minority in Parliament has raised concerns over a proposed reduction in funding for social intervention programmes in the 2027 Budget, warning that vulnerable households could face further hardship.

The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, said allocations covering LEAP, school feeding, capitation grants and other social transfers had been reduced from GH¢3.46 billion in the projected 2026 outturn to GH¢2.26 billion in 2027.

He said the reduction represented a cut of approximately 35 per cent, despite the continued pressure on households from the cost of living.

The Minority also observed that the 2027 allocation was below the GH¢3.81 billion projected in the government's Fiscal Policy Strategy.

Dr Amin Adam further questioned the implementation of the 2026 social protection budget, saying only GH¢1.84 billion of the GH¢3.46 billion allocation had been paid by October.

Although he welcomed the proposed increase in LEAP grants, he argued that the adjustment would not compensate for the overall reduction in funding or address the needs of newly vulnerable households.

“A larger grant to the same households, inside a smaller total, does not reach the new poor created by higher prices,” he said.

He also cited the GH¢50 million allocation for lifeline electricity support in both 2027 and 2028, claiming that no payment had been made under the programme by October 2026.

Speaking at Parliament on Friday, November 13, after Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson presented the 2027 Budget, Dr Amin Adam said the reduction in social spending contradicted the government's claims of economic recovery.

He urged the government to reconsider its allocations to ensure that low-income families receive adequate support.