Member of Parliament for Atiwa East, Abena Osei-Asare, has called on the government to prioritise completing abandoned public projects, saying that doing so would deliver greater value for the country than spending on other areas.

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Friday, July 24, during a discussion on the 2026 mid-year budget review, the former deputy finance minister said the government should channel more resources into unfinished projects instead of allowing them to remain stalled.

According to her, one of the major findings in the Auditor-General's 2024 report was the high value of abandoned and uncompleted projects across the country.

"I have seen that capex. There are a lot of abandoned projects in the district assemblies alone," she said.

She said that abandoned contract irregularities were among the most significant audit findings, with projects worth GH¢189 million left incomplete.

"One of the huge infractions that we saw in 2024 was contract irregularities, and that had to do with abandoned projects and uncompleted projects to the tune of GH¢189 million," she stated.

She argued that completing those projects should be a priority because they would provide immediate benefits to communities and improve the value derived from public spending.

"If you are spending, spend to complete these abandoned projects because that alone, if you should take that infraction from the huge infractions that the Auditor-General spoke about in the end-of-year 2024 report, would do this country a lot of good," she said.

The Atiwa East MP also questioned the government's spending priorities, saying the figures presented in the Mid-Year Budget Review suggested that capital investment had not received the attention it deserved.

She pointed out that while the government had planned to spend GH¢21 billion on capital expenditure, it spent only GH¢14 billion. At the same time, she said, spending on arrears far exceeded the amount approved by Parliament.

"When you have capex of GH¢21 billion, and you end up spending GH¢14 billion, but rather you have arrears of GH¢14 billion, and you end up spending GH¢29 billion, that is where I say that you are not spending in the right places," she said.

She maintained that directing resources towards completing stalled infrastructure projects would have a greater impact on the economy and improve the lives of Ghanaians.

"Spend in the right places and then the effects will be felt by all and sundry," she added.