Afenyo-Markin Describes 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review as ‘Full of English, Empty Promises’
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin has sharply criticised the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review, accusing the government of making promises without adequately addressing the country's pressing economic challenges.
By Boakye Stephen, Kumasi, Ghana | Reporting for Ghanaian News, Canada | July 23,2026
Speaking in Parliament after Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson’s presentation, the Effutu MP questioned discrepancies in government expenditure figures and argued that the performance of a Finance Minister should be measured by policy outcomes rather than the amount of money spent.
“The true measure of a Finance Minister is not how much he spends,” he stated.
Afenyo-Markin also criticised the government’s handling of the cocoa sector, arguing that the review failed to announce concrete measures to address the difficulties facing cocoa farmers.
“Throughout his review, there was no policy announcement for the cocoa sector. The four million cocoa farmers are suffering,” he said.
He further accused the government of ignoring earlier concerns raised by the Minority regarding charges associated with the Gold for Reserves programme.
According to the Minority Leader, the government incurred significant losses after failing to heed the Minority’s earlier warnings.
Concluding his assessment of the Finance Minister’s presentation, Afenyo-Markin dismissed the review as “full of English with empty promises.”
Commentary: The Minority’s reaction sets the stage for further parliamentary debate over the government’s economic record, with disagreements likely to centre on expenditure, cocoa-sector policy and the management of the Gold for Reserves programme.
