Ghana’s budget transparency performance has suffered a significant setback, according to the 2025 Open Budget Survey released by the International Budget Partnership.
The report indicates that Ghana’s budget transparency score fell from 46 percent in 2023 to 22 percent in 2025, placing the country below the Sub-Saharan African average of 38 percent.
The survey, which assesses budget openness in 82 countries, says the decline reduces opportunities for citizens and civil society organisations to scrutinise government spending and hold public institutions accountable for the management of public resources.
Despite the drop in transparency, Ghana recorded slight improvements in public participation and budget oversight. Public participation increased from 17 percent to 22 percent, while oversight by key state institutions rose from 28 percent to 33 percent.
According to the report, the decline in transparency is largely due to delays in publishing critical budget documents, including the Executive’s Budget Proposal and the Citizens’ Budget, as well as the inconsistent release of in-year budget reports.
The survey also found that opportunities for meaningful public engagement in the budget process remain limited, with citizens and civil society groups largely excluded from budget hearings and monitoring activities.
While acknowledging improvements in audit oversight, the report notes that Ghana’s fiscal accountability framework remains weak due to the absence of an independent fiscal institution to provide nonpartisan fiscal analysis and limited parliamentary scrutiny of the budget process.
To address the challenges, the International Budget Partnership recommends the timely publication of all key budget documents, broader public participation in parliamentary budget hearings, stronger citizen monitoring mechanisms, and the establishment of an independent fiscal institution to enhance transparency and accountability.
The report also urges Parliament to strengthen its oversight role in budget preparation and implementation to improve fiscal governance in the country.
