Accra, Ghana – The Member of Parliament for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah, criticized the government’s 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review during parliamentary proceedings, questioning the government’s spending priorities while highlighting the plight of cocoa farmers.

During his contribution, Hon. Boamah initially alleged that the Finance Minister had a conflict of interest in relation to procurement matters. However, following a directive from the Speaker, he withdrew the remark, and the statement was expunged from the official parliamentary record.

Turning to the substance of the budget, Hon. Boamah argued that the people of Ajumako were more concerned about employment opportunities than the government’s infrastructure decisions. He questioned the decision to construct a military barracks and a specialist hospital in the area, insisting that the immediate concern of residents, particularly cocoa farmers, was the delayed payment for their produce.

“The cocoa farmers in Ajumako have still not been paid. The cocoa farmers in Ajumako want to be paid, and that is what Ghanaians want,” he stated.

The Okaikwei Central MP also referred to the Tree Crops Development Authority Act, noting that Parliament had passed the legislation to support major tree crops, including oil palm. He questioned the government’s commitment to the sector, recalling that the 2026 Budget promised to invest more than $500 million to revive Ghana’s oil palm industry.

His remarks formed part of the wider parliamentary debate on the 2026 Mid-Year Budget Review, where members of both the Majority and Minority benches assessed the government’s economic performance and policy priorities.

— Our Democracy News