Alexander Afenyo-Markin brands 2027 Budget a ‘paper economy’ as hardship persists

Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has dismissed the 2027 Budget as a “paper economy”, arguing that the figures presented by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson do not reflect the difficulties many Ghanaians face. Speaking at a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, November 12, after the budget presentation, he said reported growth and falling inflation had not brought meaningful relief to households and businesses dealing with the cost of living. “Stability on paper but hardship in our pockets,” Afenyo-Markin said, according to the report. He argued that unemployment, high food prices and pressure on businesses continued to challenge the government’s account of the economy, adding that slogans could not make those problems disappear. The Minority Leader also promised that his caucus would closely examine the budget. He said the group would not be silenced, despite what he described as efforts by the Speaker to prevent preliminary comments in the House. Minority MPs displayed placards with messages including “Scam Economy” and “Cocaine Economy” as Afenyo-Markin criticised the budget’s presentation. To support his argument, he pointed to food prices at markets including Kotokoraba, Koforidua, Tamale Aboabo, Kumasi Asafo and Winneba Central. He said food remained too expensive for many people and questioned whether the government’s plans for processing maize and other produce were matched by sufficient support for farmers and increased production. Afenyo-Markin further claimed that prices for rice, maize, sorghum and yam had risen over the previous two years, and that locally produced goods had become more expensive than imported alternatives. His comments set out the Minority’s criticism of the budget: that headline economic indicators, in his view, were not yet translating into affordability for ordinary households.