The Minister for Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has clarified that the GH¢78 million allocated to his ministry is intended for the agencies under his supervision and not for his personal office.

According to him, the GH¢78 million assigned for the year is insufficient to meet the operational needs of the three key agencies under his ministry.

He warned that the limited funding would significantly impede the effectiveness of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), the Information Services Department (ISD), and the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, 19th March, Mr Kwakye Ofosu underscored the vital role these institutions play in disseminating government information and maintaining media integrity.

He stressed that without adequate financial support, their capacity to serve the public would be severely compromised.

The minister lamented that despite their crucial mandate, the resources provided were far from enough to sustain their operations.

In his statement, he detailed the financial strain on these agencies, pointing out that they collectively employ 2,537 civil servants.

These employees, he noted, rely on the government’s budgetary provisions to execute their duties effectively.

The lack of sufficient funding, he argued, would affect not only salaries but also the agencies’ ability to deliver essential services.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu further highlighted the specific financial pressures faced by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

He revealed that GBC alone requires GH¢36 million to establish its presence in the six newly created regions.

Without this investment, he warned, the broadcaster would struggle to fulfil its mandate of ensuring nationwide media coverage.

“There are three agencies that I superintend, namely the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, the Information Services Department, and the Ghana News Agency. These three agencies alone have 2,537 civil servants, and it is these civil servants who have been allocated GH¢78 million in both goods and services,” he stated.

“Mr Speaker, it is woefully inadequate for them because the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation alone needs GH¢36 million to establish a presence in the six regions that they [the previous administration] created.”