Minister’s Foreword
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a dynamic framework for Ghana’s transformation. They align with President Akufo-Addo’s vision of Ghana Beyond Aid, a long-term economic and social transformation strategy. This SDG Budget Baseline Report marks the beginning of the development of a methodology and framework that can help us ensure that our financial priorities are aligned with essential SDG targets in future budget’s.
Even as we present this report, Ministry of Finance has already followed up on the main suggestions derived from the work on this report: We have re-coded the budget and are now training budget staff at Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). With these efforts Ghana is taking the lead, globally, in developing a tracking system to ensure that the SDGs are being achieved.
Without public commitment, financing and partnership, we will not reach the SDGs. Budget provides a concrete measure of real commitment to the goals, while information on government’s actual spending will show how well we have followed through. By presenting allocations and spending to the public, we are meeting SDG target 16.6 that emphasizes the importance of transparency and accountability in public institutions.
The methodology and recommendations presented in this report, has the potential to guide us into a Ghana that leaves nobody behind and where sustainable patterns of production and consumption are the norm. We have to diligently endeavour to meet the targets and indicators of the SDGs to make this happen.
This report is a starting point of an annual series of SDG budget reports, that will ensure that we use our time and resources well. And looking at the intention of our Special Policy Initiatives like Planting for Food and Jobs, One Village One Dam, One District One Factory and Nation Builders Corps there is no doubt that Ghana is on the right path towards this year’s budgets focus: “Putting Ghana Back to Work”.
We have to start from somewhere, so although this year’s report was bereft in terms of available data, future findings will be guided by SDG statistics from Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). Nonetheless, using trend analyses provided by GSS where relevant, alongside data from other sources, our current results highlight a strong need to undertake even more progressive measures to ensure a stronger identification of budget allocations towards the SDG targets.
Our goal is to ensure that the SDGs become part of the DNA of all Ghanaians. The SDGs call for nations to manage their own resources. The global Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development supports President Akufo-Addo’s vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid, and we must collectively take a lead in raising the funds needed to ensure the transformation we want. For this purpose, a Transformation Unit has been established at the Ministry of Finance. While many of the SDGs will be achieved through improved policies and implementation practices, more collaboration among public institutions, private sector, learning communities and civil society and inclusiveness of all Ghanaians will help us achieve our goals. We need your commitment, involvement and action for Ghana to Prosper for its People and the Planet.
As Minister for Finance, and with the support of President Akufo-Addo who co-chairs the UN’s advocacy group for the SDGs, I will use the budget as a critical instrument to institutionalise on the SDGs, as a core anchor for achieving President’s transformation vision of a Ghana Beyond Aid.
Ken Ofori-Atta
Minister for Finance
Republic of Ghana
