2027 Budget: Both NDC and NPP can't deliver the needed transformation – Dr Kpikpi

On 2027, Dr John Enyonam Kpikpi, the flagbearer of the Progressive Alliance for Ghana (PAG), has harshly criticized both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) budgets. He doubts the ability of these two parties to bring about the economic transformation required for Ghana. Both NDC and NPP have dominated Ghanaian politics for nearly 34 years but have failed to create basic economic structures, such as food self-sufficiency, according to Kpikpi.

The PAG leader questioned the trustworthiness of the dominant political parties to ensure food security despite their long tenure in power. He pointed out the failures of past agricultural interventions, including the guinea fowl initiative and the Nkitinkitin programme, as evidence of the political establishment's inability to deliver sustainable results.

Kpikpi also criticized the government's renewed emphasis on mineral value addition, specifically lithium resources, despite earlier rejections of weak agreements that would ensure local economic benefits.

He accused successive governments of ignoring calls for a stronger lithium agreement that would retain more economic benefits within Ghana, instead opting to compromise on the deal. Kpikpi questioned the sudden interest in mineral value addition only 12 months after missing an opportunity to secure a better lithium deal. He argued that the same political parties responsible for managing Ghana's resources cannot be trusted to bring about a different economic direction.

Kpikpi also expressed doubt about the government's ability to turn its budget promises into practical outcomes, suggesting that the problem extends beyond policy announcements to the credibility and political interests of those implementing them. He concluded that Ghana's economic challenges require a shift from the traditional NDC-NPP political contest, calling for new political leadership driven by integrity and a commitment to Ghana's natural and economic resources benefiting its people. He presented the PAG as an alternative capable of delivering such change.