Attitudes towards fiscal policy in Ghana
This policy brief discusses findings from a survey of ordinary people in Ghana, which sought to discover their thoughts on revenue and expenditure measures.
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Fiscal Policy_Asuming et al. Policy Brief September 2024.pdf
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- Under the current IMF programme, the government of Ghana is working to restructure public debt, improve revenue mobilisation, and rationalise expenditures. The aim is to restore macroeconomic stability and debt sustainability while building resilience and laying the foundation for stronger and more inclusive growth.
- In this policy brief, we summarise ordinary people's views on some possible revenue and expenditure measures to improve fiscal balances.
- The results indicate strong support for policies aimed at broadening the tax net, improving compliance, and more effectively collecting property taxes.
- Most people want the government to continue spending the same amount or even more on some prominent items including: the free Senior High School (SHS) programme (71%), the construction of roads, highways, and interchanges (94%), the railway system (74%), and electricity infrastructure (94%) as well as subsidies for petroleum (85%) and utilities (88%). However, there was little support for more expenditure on government appointees (13%) and the National Cathedral (29%).
- In order to reduce government expenditure, the respondents favoured adopting policies that improve efficiency rather than simply cutting back on a programme or project.