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The Minister of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has raised serious concerns over what he describes as an insufficient budget allocation to his office, arguing that the GH¢78 million designated for the year is inadequate to support the operations of three key agencies under his supervision.
Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, March 19, Kwakye Ofosu emphasized the critical financial needs of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the Information Services Department (ISD), and the Ghana News Agency (GNA). He noted that these institutions play a vital role in government communication, public information dissemination, and media integrity but are being severely constrained by limited funding.
The minister outlined the financial strain on these agencies, pointing out that they collectively employ 2,537 civil servants who depend on the budget to effectively carry out their duties. He particularly highlighted the challenges faced by the GBC, which has been tasked with expanding its services to cover the six newly created regions.
“There are three agencies that I superintend, namely the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Information Service Department, and the Ghana News Agency. These three agencies alone have 2,537 civil servants, and it is these civil servants who have been allocated GH¢78 million in both goods and services,” he stated.
Kwakye Ofosu further stressed that the amount allocated is grossly insufficient, especially for the GBC’s expansion efforts.
“Mr. Speaker, it is woefully inadequate for them because the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation alone needs GH¢36 million to establish a presence in the six regions that they [the previous administration] created,” he lamented.
The minister’s concerns highlight the pressing financial difficulties facing the country’s government communication agencies, raising questions about their ability to fulfill their mandates effectively under current budgetary constraints.
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