Ghana's performance on budget transparency has suffered a significant setback, according to the latest Open Budget Survey (OBS), raising fresh concerns about citizens' access to in
The report indicates that ghana’s performance on budget transparency has suffered a significant setback, according to the latest Open Budget Survey (OBS), raising fresh concerns about citizens’ access to information on the management of public finances.
It further notes that the survey, released by SEND Ghana, assessed countries on three key pillars of the budget process — transparency, public participation and oversight. Ghana scored 22 out of 100 on the transparency index, placing it among the lowest-performing countries out of the 82 nations assessed globally.
The findings were presented at a stakeholder engagement in Accra on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The event brought together representatives from Parliament, government institutions and civil society organisations, including members of the Public Accounts Committee and the Finance and Economic Planning Committee.
Speaking at the forum, the Country Director of SEND Ghana, Harriet Nuamah Agyemang, attributed Ghana’s poor performance largely to the limited and delayed publication of key budget documents.
She explained that timely access to budget information is essential for meaningful public participation and effective accountability in the management of state resources.
“What are some of these things that are dragging us back instead of moving us forward? One is transparency. Transparency, the whole idea is to publish your budget document in time and to have content that meets the standards agreed on in the survey, which we have signed on to,” she said.
“And so if we are not publishing on time and the content is limited, it means that we are not providing adequate information to citizens to enable them to be equipped to engage with their authorities,” she added.
Ms Agyemang emphasised that transparency remains a cornerstone of good governance, noting that citizens cannot effectively participate in public decision-making or demand accountability if they lack access to relevant fiscal information.
The report has renewed concerns among governance and accountability advocates, who argue that inadequate access to budget information weakens citizens’ ability to scrutinise government spending and hold public officials accountable.
They contend that greater openness in the budget process is necessary to strengthen public trust in state institutions and improve the efficient use of public resources.
The Open Budget Survey is regarded globally as one of the most comprehensive assessments of budget transparency and accountability, measuring the extent to which governments make key budget documents publicly available and provide opportunities for citizen engagement.
Reacting to the findings, the Deputy Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee, Dr Stephen Amoah, described the report as a wake-up call for institutions responsible for managing the country’s finances.
Although he expressed surprise at Ghana’s low score, he emphasised the need for a careful review of the assessment criteria and called for stronger efforts to improve transparency and public participation in fiscal governance.
“I’m even surprised. I have to find out the actual performance parameters or variables they used so that we can understand the work they are doing very well because, in my opinion, I have a few concerns about what they have done,” he stated.
