Chairman of the NPP Policy Co-ordination Committee, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has questioned the credibility of the government's claims on job creation and public spending ahead of Thursday's Mid-Year Budget Review, arguing that several announcements have not been matched by actual implementation.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, July 22, he inquired about the government's employment claims under the 24-Hour Economy policy.

According to him, while the programme promises to create 1.7 million jobs and has a direct allocation of GH¢110 million in 2026, the approximately 160,000 jobs announced so far are linked to newly signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) rather than projects that are already operational.

"The jobs announced are attached to newly signed MoUs, not operating projects, and the totals lean on multipliers of one to four. A memorandum of understanding is not a payslip."

He also noted that there is a growing gap between government announcements and the actual release of funds.

He cited the agriculture sector, where the Ministry of Finance announced in June that it had released more than GH¢1.6 billion. However, he said officials at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture put the authorised amount at GH¢910 million, with actual disbursements close to GH¢453 million.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah also referenced Right to Information (RTI) reports indicating that between 76 and 90 percent of road contracts under the government's Big Push programme, valued at more than GH¢70 billion, were sole-sourced.

He further noted that despite assurances that financing would not be a challenge, capital expenditure stood at 58 percent of its target during the same quarter.

"When announcements and cash releases tell two different stories, the cash tells the truth," he said.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah also cited the cocoa sector, stating that although a producer price of GH¢41,392 per tonne was announced in February, farmers reportedly remained unpaid in March despite a pledged disbursement of $337 million.

He said the Mid-Year Budget Review should provide clarity on the implementation of government programmes and ensure that public announcements are backed by actual results.