The Director of Communications for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government’s commitment to the proposed Women’s Development Bank.
His remarks followed Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson’s presentation of the 2025 budget in Parliament on March 11.
Speaking to ABC NEWS GH, Ahiagbah questioned the government’s sincerity, urging Ghanaians to be cautious.
He argued that the allocated GHC 51.3 million is grossly inadequate for establishing a fully functional bank, further doubting the administration’s dedication to women’s financial empowerment.
“They talked so much about prioritizing women, but when we saw this budget, the much-talked-about Women’s Development Bank did not feature at all,” Ahiagbah said.
“The proposed GHC 51.3 million cannot even establish a savings and loans company, let alone a bank. In Ghana, you need a minimum of GHC 400 million to start a bank. Don’t buy into that propaganda narrative,” he stated, dismissing the NDC’s claims about its support for the initiative.
He criticized the government’s approach, insisting that real financial backing is necessary for the project to succeed.
Ahiagbah also accused the NDC of misleading Ghanaians about the overall impact of the 2025 budget, arguing that it does little to address economic hardships.
“Fundamentally, the NDC went around to play Ghanaians in terms of the budget they have brought. If this was a budget of hope, we would have seen it,” he said.
He further lamented the absence of measures to ease the high cost of living, stressing that the budget does not reflect meaningful solutions to the country’s economic challenges.
