Ghana is broke; I’ll reduce the office of the President’s over GH₵2 billion budget to pay Assembly members monthly allowance — Mahama

In an address to National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in Hohoe, Volta Region, John Dramani Mahama, the opposition party’s flagbearer, revealed that he is taking a cue from making promises considering the dire state of Ghana’s economy.

He stated, “I am being very measured in the promises that I make because we all know the crisis in which this country has been plunged [into].

“We will show you the books and finances of this country, and you will realise the harm that the New Patriotic Party administration has done to this country; the economy is broke.”

During his two-day “Building the Ghana we want together” tour to the Volta Region, Mahama assured that the next NDC government would allocate monthly allowances of GH¢1,000 to all Assembly members, a move that he estimated would cost the nation approximately GH¢80 million annually.

To fund this initiative, Mahama proposed a reduction in the budget allocated to the office of the President.

He highlighted the current budget for the President’s office, which stands at more than GH¢2 billion, and stated, “The office of the President’s budget alone is more than GH¢2 billion.

“We are going to reduce the President’s office expenditure to pay the Assembly members.”