A Private Member’s Bill has been proposed to make it mandatory for all programmes and projects of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to be certified and approved by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) before receiving funding from the Ministry of Finance.
The Bill, introduced under the newly proposed Public Financial Management (PFM) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to impose a statutory obligation on development planners to ensure that projects align with budgeting and expenditure limits. NDPC approval would become a mandatory precondition for the fiscal operations of all MDAs and MMDAs.
Specifically, the Bill proposes to amend Section 21 of the PFM Act, preventing the Minister of Finance from including the estimates of MDAs and MMDAs in the annual budget unless they are consistent with NDPC-approved development plans.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement in Accra, the bill’s sponsor, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, MP for Ofoase Ayirebi, lamented the impact of funding unaligned projects on Ghana’s fiscal space.
He explained that the amendment, dubbed the “No Plan, No Cash” Bill, would safeguard 30 per cent of government project funding and called on stakeholders to support it.
“This amendment bill seeks to deepen our fiscal discipline by closing a loophole and ensuring stronger accountability for every cedi spent by MDAs and District Assemblies,” Mr Nkrumah said.
He added that currently, MDAs and MMDAs can undertake projects that are not emergency interventions but appear to be part of their routine mandate, even without NDPC certification.
The amendment aims to deny funding to such unapproved projects and ensure closer collaboration between NDPC and other government agencies.
Mr Nkrumah expressed gratitude to Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, and Ebenezer Ahumah Djietror, Clerk to Parliament, for their support of Private Member’s Bills.
The Deputy Clerk in charge of Legislative Management Services, Camillo Pwamang, said the engagement is part of Parliament’s revised Standing Orders relating to the legislative process.
Mr Djietror emphasised that stakeholder input is crucial for enhancing the credibility of the national budget and achieving long-term development goals.
The Executive Director of the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs, Rasheed Draman, stated that the Bill aligns with best practices and urged that it should not be politicised.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
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