Features
Analysis of the 2023 Budget (Part 1)
• Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta presenting the 2023 Budget Statement in Parliament
The main items of expenditure in the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy included the usual developmental projects together with new ones that are ongoing or will be ongoing in various parts of the country.
Some of the ongoing projects already known to people in this country are road construction, the building of schools, water and electricity projects, health centres and hospitals, as well as projects like providing drinking water for the rural folk. All these projects are meant to meet the developmental needs of residents in various parts of the country.
FLAGSHIP PROJECTS
Other projects that are also ongoing include planting for food and jobs and the construction of houses for workers in the country in the form of state housing projects. Furthermore, expenditures in the form of financing the free Senior High School together with Technical Vocational Education and Training will also continue as planned. All these are important projects that ought to be continued to improve the welfare and productive skills of people, among others.
Another major item of expenditure is the 5-lane on each side of the Tema Motorway. This means that each side of the motorway will be redesigned and constructed with five lanes. This will be a major project in the country to meet the challenges ahead, but it will result in huge expenditures for the country. Such an expenditure is necessary to cope with the expanding needs of the country.
POPULATION GROWTH
With population growth, now at about 32 million, and rapid growth in urbanisation, it has become necessary to expand some of the major roads in the country. Dualisation of some parts of the road from Accra to Kumasi, as well as the Beach Road from Accra to Tema, has become necessary at this point in time to meet today’s demanding tenets. The country cannot pretend that such infrastructure is not necessary.
Apart from these entire road infrastructure as well as the expansion of the Tema Motorway, many more projects will continue to be undertaken in various communities, districts and regions in the country.
NEW REGIONS
Also, the new regions that have been created ought to continue with their developmental projects in the form of accommodation for workers, pipe borne water, road construction, and regional administrative blocks, among others. Under the new paradigm of development, facilities will not be allowed to be concentrated in the regional capital alone, as was done in the past.
What this means is that infrastructural development is to be dispersed among various parts of the region. A regional agricultural office may be built in one part of the region, while some new projects in the form of new schools may also be established in various parts of the region concerned.
DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS
Similarly, certain ministries may also be built or constructed in different parts of the new regions. This is to ensure that developmental projects are not concentrated in only one part of the new regions. This is also a laudable idea that needs the support of everyone in the country so as to ensure that various sections of the population are treated fairly in their developmental needs.
The 2023 budget statement has also provided for a remodel of the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange. Such a remodel will also increase government expenditure to a very high level, but that is necessary to ensure that the growing needs of people in this country are accommodated.
In addressing this challenge, the people of this country will not be overtaken by the lack of a certain structure or by the absence of developmental needs in various parts of the country. Undoubtedly, therefore, the expenditure in the budget has shot up to about GH¢108 billion.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Here, if inflation is not controlled adequately, it is possible that this expenditure may go even higher, to over GH¢115 billion. It must also be remembered that over the past few years, measures have been taken to protect the environment, including planting trees in all the regions and districts.
In 2022 alone, the government, through the Forestry Commission, planted over five million trees. All that was done at a certain cost, and it is believed that in 2023, more trees will be planted than were done in 2022.
In 2021, the number of trees planted amounted to about two million. This intention was not bad but had to be improved upon in the following year, that is, 2022, and this is why in 2023 there is the likelihood that more trees will be planted. If more trees are planted, then again, expenditures for the country will be high.
The point being made is that with high expenditure facing the country, we will have to find ways of ensuring that all financial resources are found for the design and implementation of many more programmes that may be needed by people in this country.
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES
While the government is playing its part, it is at the same time encouraging the youth to undertake their own entrepreneurial activities. Such entrepreneurial activities will go a long way toward creating satisfactory jobs for the young members of our population.
It is for this reason that the Ghana Enterprise Agency has been constituted to assist all prospective and interested individuals who would want to undertake and run their own businesses. The You-Start Project is all part of the package, and the government is spending huge sums of money for its smooth implementation.
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By Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Bediako
Today, I focus on the Apostolic Church International in Finland, as I continue with my description of institutions and personalities and their accomplishments as members of the Ghanaian Diaspora in Finland.
The Apostolic Church International, Finland (or, Apostolic International Association Ry) was established in October 9, 2023. The Church in Finland has seen significant strides and accomplishments within the short time that it has been established in Finland, which must be highlighted.
History of the Church in Ghana
The Apostolic Church Ghana originated from the 1904–1905 Welsh revival, officially established in Ghana (then called Gold Coast) in 1935 following connections between a local prayer group in Asamankese (a town in southern Ghana), led by Peter Newman Anim, and the Apostolic Church, UK. There were historical splits in 1939 and 1953, but the Apostolic Church attained autonomy in 1985.
Today, the Church is headquartered in Accra. Last year (2025), it dedicated its new 10-storey headquarters, “The Apostolic Church Tower,” in Frafraha, Adenta West in Accra.
Activities of the Apostolic Church in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland conducts church service on Sundays. The service starts at 11a.m. in the morning and closes by 1 p.m. in the afternoon. There are no other activities during other days for now.
The Minister in charge of the church in Finland is also the Area Head of Italy Area. He is Pastor Daniel Kofi Addison who is the new Italy Area Head, and has just been transferred from UK South Area to Italy Area during the just-ended Council Meeting in March this year. Italy Area comprises Italy, which has 13 Assemblies, Germany, one Assembly, and Finland, one Assembly.
Elder Ebenezer Amoaning-Coffie is the Presiding Elder in charge of the Assembly in Finland. A Presiding Elder is responsible for day to day activities of the church (Assembly) and reports to the District Pastor, or in the absence of the District Pastor, reports to the Area Head.
Achievements
The Apostolic Church International, Finland was officially registered under the Finnish Law, guaranteeing freedom of worship and providing legal foundation for future growth. The church service is conducted in both English and Twi.
The church opens its doors to all people of every nation, especially Ghanaians who are in Finland and other African nationals. Now, the membership comprises Ghanaians, Nigerians and Sierra Leoneans.
The Church and the Ghanaian migrant community in Finland
The Apostolic Church in Finland plays a prominent role as a religious group that serves Ghanaian migrants and others in the Finnish society.
Thus, the Apostolic Church is a religious body for Ghanaian migrants in Finland and other nationalities who want to worship with them for diversity and better intercultural and multicultural understanding.
Elder Amoaning-Coffie said that the main and primary aim of the church is to bring people closer to God. “We aim to win souls for Christ. We aim to preach the gospel to the world. By propagating the gospel to the people, we are hopeful that they will turn away from any ungodly ways and be good individuals in the community and in society in general”, he stated.
He said that everything is going well so far. A key challenge, however, is how to get more members especially the youth. As a new Assembly, we are in need of instrumentalists, for example. We pray to God Almighty to help us do His work, the Elder disclosed.
Integration
By its activities, the Apostolic Church is helping to ensure integration of its members well into the Finish society. This is important since social interaction and citizens’ well-being are an important part of the integration process in Finland.
As I mentioned some time ago, the role of migrant associations and groups such as the Apostolic Church acting as bridge-builders for the integration and inclusion of migrants through participation in the decision making process and by acting as a representative voice is highly appreciated in Finland. Thank you!
With Dr Perpetual Crentsil
The landscape of the Ghanaian palate is shifting, and not necessarily for the better. In our bustling urban centres, from the streets of Accra to the suburbs of Kumasi, a quiet culinary revolution is taking place; one where the mortar and pestle are being replaced by the pizza oven and the deep fryer. This transition from traditional staple foods like fufu, banku, akple, kenkey, tuo zaafi, and ampesi toward “continental” dishes is more than just a change in appetite; it is a reflection of a deeper social struggle with identity and prestige.
The illusion of modernity
For many, “stepping out” for a meal has become synonymous with consuming foreign cuisine. There is an unspoken social hierarchy where a bowl of Abunuabunu is relegated to the village category, while burgers, pizzas are branded as prestigious choices. We have reached a stage where we equate foreign with modern and local with primitive.
This perception is a dangerous illusion. Our traditional dishes are marvels of culinary engineering complex, nutrient-dense, and deeply rooted in our history. When we choose a processed foreign import over a meal made from local tubers or fermented maize, we are not just changing our lunch; we are eroding the indigenous knowledge attached to our local ingredients and foods.
We need to turn the consumption of indigenous grains and tubers like millet, sorghum, and plantain into a statement of self-worth and national pride.
The cultural and health erosion
Every time a local dish disappears from a restaurant menu to make room for foreign fast food, we lose a piece of our cultural fabric. Traditional Ghanaian cooking is an art that requires patience and skill. By choosing the convenience of foreign fast food, we are raising a generation that may know the taste of a pepperoni pizza but cannot identify the rich, earthy profile of Prekese or the subtle tang of well-fermented dough dishes like corn porridge, banku, etew, abolo, agidi or kamfa, and kenkey.
Furthermore, we are at the crossroads of a nutrition transition. Replacing high-fiber, indigenous crops with calorie-dense but nutrient-poor foreign fast foods is driving a rise in lifestyle diseases such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and liver disease. We are trading our longevity for 15-minutes convenience or unhealthy diet.
A call for culinary patriotism
It is time for us to appreciate, preserve, and promote our indigenous foods and culinary traditions. We need to be proud of our local dishes, ingredients and cooking methods, rather than relying heavily on foreign or imported foods. We must stop viewing our local delicacies as low-class and start treating our culinary heritage as the high-end gastronomy it truly is.
True sophistication does not come from imitating Western fast food; it comes from innovation and adding values to our own resources. We see glimpses of this potential in the rise of branded Sobolo and the creative use of gluten-free plantain flour in modern baking of flour-based dishes such as bread, cakes, biscuits and others. This is the path forward. We must elevate our local dishes, making them as accessible, affordable, presentable and trendy as any foreign alternative.
To the hospitality industry: Innovate or stagnate
Our hotels and high-end restaurants must lead the charge. They must stop relegating local dishes to the “traditional corner” of the buffet, and apply the same culinary finesse given to imported dishes to our Fante Fante, apapransa, aborbi tadi, fetritoto, akple, abolo, yakayeke, fufu, ampesi, kokonte, wasawasa, tubani, apapransa, mpotompoto, kelewele, aliha, brukutu, pito, and other local dishes. The industry must enhance customer experiences making eating local dishes the ultimate luxury experience for both tourists and residents alike. We must elevate the presentation of our foods by using modern plating techniques to show that a bowl of light soup can be as visually stunning as a French consommé. We need to reclaim our Ghanaian plate before it is too late.
To the policy makers: Let us encourage buying of local ingredients to promote the local food industry and economy. There should be educational programmes and talks about the nutritional and cultural benefits of local foods so that people understand their value.
We need to encourage serving traditional dishes at school programmes, parties, and celebrations instead of only fast foods,
To the Youth: Let us value and appreciate our traditional dishes instead of always choosing foreign foods. There must be balance in our choice of local and foreign dishes. Confidence in our culture encourages others to respect it too. Our local dishes can also be promoted by sharing pictures, recipes, and videos on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp to make them attractive and trendy.
Young citizens must learn from their parents and elders how to prepare local meals to keep the knowledge and cultural relevance alive. Local dishes can be modernised to appeal to younger generations and tourists.
Conclusion
We cannot afford to trade our heritage for foreign cuisines which are gaining grounds across the country at an alarming rate. We must disabuse our minds of the perception that anything foreign or imported is better than those locally made. Our health, economy, and identity are tied to the soil. It is time to stop apologising for our local flavours and start celebrating them. It is possible to embrace modernity without losing ourselves and our cultural identity. Let us make the Ghanaian kitchen the heart of our modern identity once again.
By: Marilyn Gadogbe
