Economist Dr Theo Acheampong says some of the expenditure cut measures outlined in the 2023 budget are unachievable. 

According to him, some of them are “mere sloganeering.”

Dr Theo Acheampong said the freeze on the use of V8 vehicles in Accra by government appointees cannot be monitored. 

Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, the economist also said the budget will impose some extra hardships on Ghanaians. 

“In a sense, the government talks about some austerity but in my view, this is actually not an austerity budget. At the central government level, it is very much expansionary in terms of scale and scope where we project to spend 51% more money compared to what they did in 2022 at the same time we want to raise 49% more revenue. 

“So it is an austerity budget for many of citizens in the sense that some taxes are likely to go up and that is going to up to an already difficult situation. There are some measures to raise more revenue and cut expenditure but some of the time I think cannot be implemented. 

“A number of the measures including the vehicles and things like that I think is mere sloganeering.”

The measure is among a number announced by the government to cut its expenditure.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta on Thursday, announced that as part of measures to reduce government’s costs, some perks of being in government will be withdrawn. 

It includes a ban on the use of V8 and V6 in the capital except in the case of cross-country journeys.