Reduce number of ministers to cut down expenditure, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
Ghana has 30 central government ministers
The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has asserted that the current number of ministers must be reduced, as part of efforts to reduce the government’s expenditure.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu suggested that the current number of ministers was too much and this was adding to the financial burden of the state.
He added that the 1992 Constitution of Ghana is clear on the number of central government ministers the government should have, myjoyonline.com reports.
“The Constitution provides in Article 76(1), that there shall be a Cabinet which shall consist of the President, the Vice President and not more than nineteen Ministers of state.
“Given the role of cabinet ministers, that is for running the state efficiently and assisting the President in the determination of policy of his government, it is my contention that apart from regional ministers, the number of central government ministers may not have to exceed 19 as contained in the Constitution.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is the Member of Parliament for Suame and the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, further stated that for all sector ministers to play important roles in the government, they must all be part of the Cabinet.
“… All ministers to be relevant and to be able to assist in the evolution and determination of policies in their sectors, must be cabinet ministers.
"The excess numbers must be cut off and that will significantly reduce public expenditure. For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution must provide for that,” he added.
The Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led administration currently has 30 central government ministers. Many Ghanaians including governance experts have said that the number of ministers in the government is too much for a country of Ghana’s size.
The Majority leader made the comments as main speaker at a public lecture that took place at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, KNUST, on Wednesday, July 13, 2022.
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Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu