By Stanley Senya
Accra, Nov. 05, GNA – As part of its effort to promote participatory and inclusive governance, SEND Ghana has called on stakeholders to help include social protection financing in the 2023 budget.
Since 2015, the organisation has been engaging stakeholders in water, sanitation, health, education, social protection and gender ahead of the national budget to collect their views for consideration in the final report.
One such engagement has been held in Accra for stakeholders from the Civil Society Organisation, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Parliamentarians, the media and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).
Dr Emmanuel Ayifah, the Deputy Country Director for SEND Ghana, said robust financing of the social sector would help reduce poverty and inequality in the country.
He said it was important to prioritise the social sector spending while the needed allocation of funds must be made to each social sector for efficient disbursement to aid development.
“The poverty and inequality figures in our country don’t point to a good situation, the recent crisis in the country should tell us how important the social sector must be funded,” he added.
Madam Francisca Oteng Mensah, Member of Parliament for Kwabre East constituency in the Ashanti region and chairperson for the gender and children committee, suggested the engagement of private institutions and organisations to contribute some funds to be allocated to the social sectors.
“Looking at the economic crisis in recent times, the government cannot fully or effectively provide enough funding for the social sector even if Parliament includes it in the 2023 budget.”
“Most of the financing is generated from the ministries and central government.
We shouldn’t focus on government if we want to increase social sector spending,” she said.
Speaking at the event, Mr Mawutor Ablo, the Director for Ghana Productive Safenet Project, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), said social sector protection was an investment since it contributed to human capital development, and productivity and provided support for people’s livelihood.
Mr Ablo said investing in social sectors would enable citizens to contribute their quota through taxes, which would generate income for national development.
“It is something we need to do for the future, we need to invest in people’s health, education, skill training and employment for citizens to know what their taxes are used for. It is actually a right to be protected for the extremely poor and vulnerable,” he added.
Participants commended SEND Ghana for the initiative to enrich the budget process by creating platforms for citizens’ participation.
GNA