SEND GHANA and OXFAM have mobilised civil society organisations (CSOs) and young people to develop and submit proposals for consideration in the preparation of the 2027 National Budget.
The initiative seeks to ensure that the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy responds to the needs and priorities of citizens while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At a meeting held in Accra, representatives of more than 30 CSOs belonging to the Ghana CSO Platform on SDGs, drawn from the Eastern, Volta, Central, Western, Bono, Ashanti and Greater Accra regions, identified key development challenges in education, health, gender, social protection, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
They also proposed priority interventions for government to consider in the preparation of the 2027 national budget.
In education, the participants called for the completion of abandoned E-blocks and 200-KG school blocks, as well as the deployment of special needs educators to mainstream schools to strengthen inclusive education.
They further urged government to prioritise teacher deployment and provide housing for teachers in deprived communities to improve access to quality education.
On health, the CSOs and youth advocated an increase in the allocation to the sector to at least 15 per cent of the national budget, in line with the Abuja Declaration.
They also called for adequate funding for the continuous supply of essential medicines and medical equipment, emergency preparedness and preventive interventions to reduce the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The participants further stressed the need to increase domestic financing for family planning commodities and services.
In the area of WASH, they urged government to allocate funds for annual water quality monitoring and the maintenance of water and sanitation facilities.
They also proposed that at least two per cent of the WASH budget be earmarked for disability-friendly and menstrual health-friendly facilities in schools and health centres.
The Country Director of SEND GHANA, Ms Harriet Nuamah Agyemang, said government budgets must reflect the realities and aspirations of citizens.
She urged civil society organisations and the public to take advantage of budget hearings being organised in their respective regions to present their concerns and influence budgetary decisions.
Participants commended SEND GHANA, OXFAM and other partners for creating a platform for citizens to contribute to the national budgeting process.
The Advocacy and Communications Officer of Citizens Watch Ghana, Mr Edmond Gyebi, said the meeting had provided an opportunity for participants to articulate the challenges confronting their communities and advocate a budget that addressed those concerns.
He said the engagement had reinforced the understanding that a national budget should go beyond figures and policy statements to deliver tangible improvements in people’s lives.
Mr Gyebi noted that the budget must respond to the practical needs of citizens rather than merely appear impressive on paper.
The inputs gathered from the CSOs and citizens will be presented to the Ministries of Finance; Gender, Children and Social Protection; Health; Education; and the relevant ministry responsible for water and sanitation.
SEND GHANA has called on the ministries to incorporate the proposals into the 2027 National Budget to ensure that public spending addresses the development priorities of citizens and supports inclusive and sustainable development.
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