Here is how much government has budgeted for 2018

The Akufo-Addo-led government intends to spend an estimated 62 billion cedis in the 2018 financial year.

This was disclosed by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta when he presented the 2018 Budget and Financial Statement in parliament on Monday, November 15, 2017.

Ofori-Atta announced that government intends to grow the economy by 6.8 percent in 2018.

This represents a 0.5 percent increase, compared to 2017 which was pegged at 6.3 percent.

He said that the government targets “overall GDP growth rate of 6.8 percent, with non-oil GDP growth rate of 5.4 percent.”

“Our prime focus is to ensure that the fiscal deficit, which remains our principal fiscal anchor, continues on a downward trajectory, reaching 4.5 percent of GDP from the projected 2017 end-year estimate of 6.3 percent,” he added.

He also said that the government is targeting an end-of-year inflation rate of 8.0 percent, lower than the 11.2 percent targeted for 2017.

Currently, inflation rate [October] is at 11.6 percent.

“Achieving this objective is not only critical but necessary if we are to maintain the healthy primary balance surplus required to eventually reduce the rate of debt accumulation.”

“We must make these decisions in good time to ensure that our future generations will be bequeathed with a priceless inheritance of sustainable fiscal environment.”

“In this vein, optimizing resources mobilization through improved tax compliance and efficient and effective revenue administration remains an important part of our fiscal strategy to boost domestic revenue mobilization for 2018 and the medium-term,” he added.