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Accra, Oct.14, GNA \u2013 SEND Ghana, a policy research and advocacy organisation, has urged the government to prioritise waste recycling as a means of generating revenue for development.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The organisation also called on the government to re-introduce the road tolls as a means of mobilizing revenue in the face of the country\u2019s economic difficulties.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mrs Harriet Nuamah-Agyemang, Programme Officer, SEND Ghana, made the suggestions in Accra at a stakeholder engagement on the development of the 2023 Budget statement and economic policy organised by the Ministry of Finance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The engagement was to solicit input from the stakeholders for consideration in the 2023 annual budget preparation to be presented in November.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The forum brought together stakeholders, including the Trade Union Congress, the Association of Ghana Industries, the Accra Market Association, the Association of Road Contractors, and civil society organisations, among others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the health sector, she called on the government to establish a Health Emergency Fund to replace the COVID-19 Fund to support the country\u2019s health sector.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe urged the government to establish and strengthen adolescent girls\u2019 clubs for sex education in health and school facilities with subsidized sanitary pads,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Touching on the education sector, she called for the provision of suitable infrastructure at the basic school level, including kindergarten, and the review of the free Senior High School policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr John Kumah, the Deputy Minister of Finance, stated that continuous monitoring of the government\u2019s programmes would help shape the country\u2019s development agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201d We believe in a culture of governance that promotes transparency and accountability. The Ministry has been exploring avenues to deepen citizen participation to advance the country\u2019s democratic governance,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said the country\u2019s economic situation was still faced with internal and external factors and stated that the Government was negotiating with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Deputy Minister urged the public to consume local products to boost the country\u2019s revenue and pay taxes to maximize revenue mobilization to address the economic challenges.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said the Government intended to restore and sustain macroeconomic stability, ensure durable and inclusive growth, and promote social protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dr Alex Amankwa Poku, Head of Budget Development and Reforms, Ministry of Finance, said the country\u2019s budget cycle covered the formulation, approval, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation processes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said Ghana in the latest Open Budget Survey in 2021, improved its transparency score from 54 out of 100 in 2019 to 56 in 2021.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
GNA\u00a0<\/p>\n