Parliament has approved five members nominated to serve on the Fiscal Council as part of government’s efforts to strengthen the country’s fiscal management and economic governance framework.

The council is mandated to promote fiscal discipline, strengthen financial oversight and provide independent expert analysis to support sound decision-making in public financial management.

Chaired by Dr Emmanuel Oteng Kumah, an international economic consultant and former board member of Standard Chartered Bank Ghana, the council is expected to play a key role in monitoring the implementation of the national budget and ensuring that government expenditure remains within sustainable limits.

The move is also intended to contribute to long-term economic stability, in the wake of the country exiting the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.

President John Dramani Mahama nominated the five distinguished professionals to serve as members of the Fiscal Council on April 8 this year.

The nominations are made pursuant to Section 11D of the Public Financial Management Act, 2016 (Act 921), as amended by the Public Financial Management (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1136).

The establishment of the Fiscal Council is a strategic move by the government to reinforce the country’s economic framework.

The council is tasked with strengthening financial oversight, ensuring fiscal prudence and providing independent expert analysis to shape sound decision-making in public financial management.

The nominees represent a blend of academic excellence, research depth and seasoned policy experience.

Members

The other members are Professor Patrick Opoku Asuming, an academic and development economist at the University of Ghana Business School; Leslie Dwight Mensah, a representative of research think-tanks; J. Kweku Bedu-Addo, a former public policy expert at the Ministry of Finance, and Dr Henry Kofi Wampah, a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

Adoption of report

The approval of the nominees followed the presentation of the report of the Appointments Committee by its Chairman, Bernard Ahiafor.

Mr Ahiafor urged the House to adopt the committee’s report on the President’s nominations for appointment as members of the Fiscal Council.

He said the committee had recommended, by a majority decision of members present and voting, that the House approve the President’s nominees.

Competent, qualified

Seconding the motion, the Majority Leader, James Agalga, said all five nominees were highly competent and qualified to serve on the Council.

The Majority Leader said Prof. Asuming was bringing an academic perspective to the council.

“All the nominees, including Dr Henry Kofi Wampah, a former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, clearly have the expertise to serve in the capacity as members of the Fiscal Council,” he said.

Mr Agalga, therefore, urged the House to approve the nominations.

Consult gender partners

On behalf of the House, the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, said the five nominees were qualified to serve on the Council and congratulated them on their appointment.

“But I will draw your attention to the fact that it is a men’s club.

As a gender advocate, I strongly urge them, in their deliberations, to always have some consultation with our gender partners.

“It is very important as they have a lot of perspectives that we can benefit from.

They should not be a men-only club as the Fiscal Council is for both men and women,” he said.