Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Mampong in the Ashanti Region, was the center of social media ridicule, after being caught sleeping and snoring in Parliament during Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson’s reading of the 2025 Budget.
Images of the former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, quickly went viral, with many Ghanaians humorously portraying him, as completely detached from the proceedings, despite the heated exchanges between the House’s Majority and Minority.
Seated next to former Finance Minister, Mohammed Amin Adam, Ampratwum-Sarpong, appeared undisturbed, deep in slumber.
It remains unclear, whether the Minority Leader, Alexander Kwamena Afenyo-Markin, who sat directly in front of him, heard him snoring and made any effort to wake him up.
Social media users wasted no time in turning the moment into a meme fest, with one popular caption reading: “He will wake up, grant an interview on Peace FM, and say, ‘The budget is empty. The NDC has nothing to offer Ghanaians.”
The incident, has reignited discussions on parliamentary engagement, with critics questioning whether some MPs are genuinely invested in national debates.
After the budget, the Member of Parliament for Karaga, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, accused Dr Forson of manipulating economic data to mislead Ghanaians about the state of the economy inherited by the current administration.
Dr Amin Adam, criticised the figures, arguing that they were deliberately altered to create a misleading impression of economic distress.
“The fiscal programme was what the minister tried to use to misinform Ghanaians about the economy we handed over to them. The minister was quoting a fiscal deficit on a commitment basis of about 8.3% and a primary balance of 3.7% deficit. Ladies and gentlemen, these are cooked figures. They have manipulated the data, and we know how they did it,” he stated.
He claimed that the government introduced a new line item termed “unreleased claims,” amounting to GHC 49 billion, to distort fiscal data and exaggerate the reported deficit.
“But I can tell you that we left a surplus balance. When we interrogate the data, Ghanaians will know that we left a surplus balance of 0.7% on a commitment basis,” he added.
The budget presented by Dr Ato Forson, outlined plans to raise the Growth and Sustainability Levy on mining companies from 1% to 3% to maximise Ghana’s gains from the extractive sector.
It also included the reintroduction of road tolls on public roads and other strategic measures aimed at driving national development.
The Finance Minister, among other things, assured Ghanaians that the government will focus on reducing the fiscal deficit and public debt by cutting spending rather than relying solely on tax measures.
Dr Forson, highlighted the concerns raised by Ghanaians during the recent National Economic Dialogue.
“Mr. Speaker, Ghanaians, through the recent National Economic Dialogue, have expressed a clear desire for the fiscal deficit and public debt to be reduced through cuts in government spending rather than through only tax measures. We wholeheartedly agree!” he stated.
He emphasised that the government will align its expenditures with the country’s fiscal realities, adding, “Whoever pays off their debt gets rich.”
To achieve this, Dr. Forson announced a three-pronged approach, starting with the 2025 budget. The strategy includes recalibrating fiscal adjustments and implementing economic reforms described as “shock therapy” to restore stability and growth.
The Finance Minister had announced a GH¢100 million allocation for the payment of monthly allowances to all Assembly Members across the country.
Dr Forson, emphasised the government’s commitment to supporting local governance.
“Mr. Speaker, an amount of GH¢100 million has been allocated for the payment of monthly allowances to all Assembly Members,” he stated.
Additionally, he revealed that the government has set aside resources to assist victims of recent tidal waves in the Ketu South constituency, which displaced residents of Agavedzi and surrounding communities.
The move is expected to enhance local governance while providing relief to affected communities.
“Mr. Speaker, an amount of GH¢100 million has been allocated for the payment of monthly allowance to all Assembly Members.
“Mr. Speaker, in response to the recent tidal waves disaster that displaced residents of Agavedzi and surrounding communities in the Ketu South constituency, we have also allocated enough resources to the Ministry of Works and Housing to address the challenge.”
As part of efforts to strengthen decentralisation and drive economic growth at the local level, the Finance Minister announced an allocation of GH¢7.51 billion to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) in the 2025 Budget Statement.
According to the finance minister, the move underscores the government’s commitment to empowering district assemblies and ensuring equitable development across the country. The minister emphasised that a minimum of 80% of the allocated funds would be sent directly to the district assemblies, a departure from previous practices in which less than 50% of the DACF reached the local level.
According to the finance minister, the increased allocation and direct disbursement of funds are expected to empower district assemblies to undertake critical development projects, including infrastructure, education, healthcare, and sanitation.
“Mr. Speaker, we have allocated an amount of GH¢7.51 billion to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF). In accordance with our decentralisation policy objective, we propose to Parliament that a minimum of 80% of the funds should be sent directly to the District Assemblies to spur economic growth at the district level and deepen decentralisation,” he stated.
“Mr. Speaker, it is worth noting that, this is in stark contrast to what has happened to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) in recent years where less than 50% of the released amount to DACF goes to the District Assemblies, with a significant portion spent at the centre,” he added.