The Presidency has provided further details on why compensation expenditure at the Office of the President is projected to rise from GH¢100 million in 2025 to GH¢248 million in 2026, following questions raised in a JoyNews Research analysis of the Presidency's latest staffing report.

The analysis, published on Monday, found that President Mahama's administration had reduced political appointees at the Presidency from 357 in 2023 to 233 in 2025, a decline of 124 positions based on the latest publicly available reports.

• Read Also: Presidency cuts political appointees by 124, but compensation bill jumps 148% and staff classifications raise questions

However, while staffing numbers had fallen, the 2026 Budget projected compensation at the Office of the President would increase by about 148%, from GH¢100 million in 2025 to GH¢248 million in 2026.

The article did not attribute the increase to any single factor.

Instead, it outlined several possible explanations, including the impact of revised Article 71 salary determinations, changes in staffing levels after 2025 and the possibility of outstanding compensation obligations.

The publication prompted a response from the Presidency, where Government Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu described the analysis as unprofessional.

The presidency subsequently held a press briefing arguing that JoyNews Research should have sought the Presidency's explanation before publication.

Speaking later on Top Story on Joy FM, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said the article's headline and accompanying news cards risked creating the impression that compensation had increased despite lower staffing levels without sufficient context.

"You don't do a report, leave gaps, get people to speculate and say things that aren't true and then turn around and say, 'Can I ask a question?'" he said.

He added: "For those who don't go beyond the headline, you have created an impression in their mind that something amiss has happened."

According to the government spokesperson, the increase in compensation does not reflect salary increases introduced by the Mahama administration.

Instead, he said the salaries currently being paid to presidential staff were determined under the previous administration following recommendations of an Article 71 committee and approved shortly before the end of President Akufo-Addo's tenure in January 2025.

"Every salary being taken now by political appointees at the Presidency was determined under President Akufo-Addo," he said.

Mr Kwakye Ofosu explained that the compensation projections for 2026 include several additional obligations beyond current salaries.

These include back pay, salary top-ups and ex gratia payments owed to former presidential appointees whose remuneration was adjusted following the latest Article 71 salary determination.

"It also includes ex gratia payments to previous government officials and monies owed them," he said.

He further explained that the staffing report submitted to Parliament reflected the position at the end of 2025, but that the Presidency was not operating at its full staffing complement for much of that year because the new administration was still assembling its government following the transition.

"In 2025, we were still composing government, so the full complement of government officials had not been effected," he said.

According to him, some of these staffing and compensation adjustments are now fully reflected in the 2026 budget projections.

The Presidency's explanation suggests that the projected increase in compensation is being driven by a combination of factors, including obligations owed to former office holders, implementation of salary determinations approved under the previous administration and the fact that the Presidency was not operating at its full staffing complement for much of 2025.

However, Mr Kwakye Ofosu did not provide a detailed breakdown of the GH¢248 million compensation allocation or indicate how much of the increase is attributable to arrears, ex gratia payments, salary adjustments or current staff compensation.

When asked specifically how much of the projected amount related to arrears owed to former officials, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said he would provide the exact figures later.

"I can get you the exact figures," he said.

As of the time of publication, JoyNews Research had not yet received the figures from the Presidency.

The additional details provide important context to the compensation figures contained in the 2026 Budget and help explain why the Office of the President's compensation allocation is projected to rise sharply despite a smaller workforce.