Ghanaian civil society budget advocacy

Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Ghana are increasingly engaging with national fiscal policy to address funding gaps and influence future economic planning.

Initially, groups such as Kasa Initiative Ghana and ABANTU for Development raised concerns regarding the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review. They highlighted significant discrepancies between approved budgets and actual disbursements, noting that critical programs like the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) and the Ghana School Feeding Programme had received only approximately 44% of their allocations. Furthermore, the National Anti-Illegal Mining Operations Secretariat (NAIMOS) had received only 11% of its allocated funds.

Following these concerns, SEND Ghana and Oxfam organized a budget forum in Accra to mobilize CSOs and youth to shape the 2027 National Budget. Participants identified several priority areas for the upcoming budget, including the completion of school infrastructure, increased health sector funding to meet the Abuja Declaration standards, and improved water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities. These regional and district-level observations are being collated into formal proposals for relevant ministries to ensure the 2027 budget aligns with citizen priorities and Sustainable Development Goals.