President John Dramani Mahama has nominated five experts to serve on Ghana’s Fiscal Council, the independent body that advises government on budget policies and monitors spending.
The appointments include Dr. Emmanuel Oteng Kumah as Chair, Prof. Patrick Opoku Asuming representing academia, Leslie Dwight Mensah from a research think tank, and former policy experts J. Kweku Bedu-Addo and Dr. Henry Akpenamawu Kofi Wampah from the Ministry of Finance and Bank of Ghana, respectively.
According to the government release, the selections “reflect the administration’s commitment to strengthening financial oversight and ensuring sound, evidence-based decision-making in public finances.”
The move comes as Ghana seeks to tighten its fiscal discipline. The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2018 (Act 982) first set rules to keep the annual deficit under 5% of GDP and required a positive primary balance, creating the Fiscal Council to monitor compliance. In 2020, these rules were temporarily suspended to allow more government spending during the COVID-19 crisis.
Since then, the framework has been refined under the Public Financial Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1136), which merged the Fiscal Responsibility Act into a broader system and strengthened the council’s role in guiding policy, especially around election-year spending.
For many, the new council represents more than a legal formality. It is seen as a key tool for keeping public finances on track, ensuring that decisions on borrowing and spending are guided by data, independent analysis, and long-term economic stability.
